Attack of the Pitching Machine

The five-and-a-half years I spent in Sheffield are a collection of bittersweet memories. For all the great bands I was blessed to witness, I think Cats:For:Peru’s only full-length summarises life in the steel city.

Why? Because the city, as diverse as it is, comes through in this multi-genre album, a potluck of cultures represented by a lovely, harmonious cocktail of sounds. From heavy metal to ambient, from indie to dance, Attack of the Pitching Machine has them all.

Two examples. The neurotic urgency found in the intro of ‘Love in a Lift’ begets a dance indie breakdown that cascades into post-rock. ‘Slight to the Right’, the finest example of Cats:For:Peru's cerebral pop, handles some heavier lyrical themes while still making it very palatable, in a hummable ditty that mixes camaraderie and empathy.

Then there’s that biting British humour - understated, dry and curt. For all the genre-mashing that the band deftly weaved through their short career, they were well aware that you can’t make it in this world if you’re too serious. Just watch their Hostel-rrific video for the introspective ‘Answers’ to see that humour was an intrinsic part of Cats:For:Peru.

Cats:For:Peru were never an award-winning purebreed - Callico here, with bits of Siamese and Burmese there, maybe a tabby bit yonder. Their spectrum of influences created a diverse catalogue, and Attack of the Pitching Machine is a kaleidoscope of sounds of a multicultural city.

Sam J Valdés López