Courtcase 2000

Cats In Paris

Cats In Paris have been one of my favourite musical discoveries of the last few years. I randomly heard Lovelovelovelovelove in a Goldeneye 007 montage movie (yes I'm talking about the Nintendo 64 game, and yes I am a giant nerd) and it was pretty life changing. I remember vaguely paying attention, most likely starting to prepare dinner, when I heard these distorted synths playing octaves on the bassier side of things and eventually being joined by a very 8-bit sounding synth lead. I stopped what I was doing and was immediately entranced by the sound and the groove. It was essentially love at first listen. Not long after, I streamed the rest of the album and I was honestly a bit floored. It is so well written, performed, and has this endearingly quirky quality that I can't enough of.

I will say though, the record has a bit of a destructive streak that can play with your emotions. It's a criticism I've seen placed on this album in at least one review I read, but for someone who thrives on tension and release, I think it makes this record very captivating. The track I already mentioned goes on to incorporate a grinding synth sound that is quite overwhelming. This quickly decomposes and resolves into a pretty refreshing last leg with open air, chirping birds, and a cascading harp. Cold Products is a little unassuming with the light, 'elevator' vibe it has going on and then obliterates it with these cacophonous passages of free jazz noise. There's many other examples of quirky passages like this that will keep you on your toes as you're listening.

Another aspect of this record I really like is Michael Watson's vocal diversity. Watson his a great ability to adapt his vocal delivery to whatever the musical moment calls for; never overpowering the wonderful instrumental palates, but instead enhancing them. Some of my favourite vocal moments are when the band gets really quiet like on Flamethrowers or the end of Loose Tooth Tactile. I would describe his performances here as arresting, using slower vocal pacing and cleaner tone to convey a great deal of emotion. However, there are times where Watson becomes especially unhinged. His scream at the very end of Foxes rivals any performance from a band like The Blood Brothers.

Courtcase 2000 boasts a unique band dynamic, catchy grooves, solid performances, and also has unpredictably exciting song structures. The melodies and 8-bit synth lines are infectiously fun and incredibly sticky; I guarantee you will have a hard time getting them out of your head. The production is also fantastic, maximizing the emotional power in the band's creative songwriting. Unfortunately, this is the only release from the band as they wound up breaking up sometime after this album's release. It's quite sad as I could definitely use more of this in my life.