Kittentank

Following from 2012’s solid Troubles On The Table Again Kittentank has a new EP, four tracks that don’t – at all – fuck around. Opener, Spooky House, kicks into life via a Pixies/Cure bassline and its a surge of nearly surf-rock underneath this hard-fought retro/garage feel. Then to New Wave where we can take solace if we’ve had to endure new Pixies material – because this is clearly the better option. Politician slams John Key and comes over on a riff that’s so easy to like, so greasy like an Antipodean Stooges. The Great Escape has more of that simple, pleasurable guitar-riff sound, a little touch of VU, a little bit of Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Kittentank has pumped out some pretty great albums and EPs over the last couple of years – they’re getting better with each release too. On The Spooky House EP you feel the build across each track…what’s that? Only 14 minutes and it’s the end. Time to press play again. Sometimes it feels like what Lee Hazlewood mighta done if he’d semi-retired down in Dunedin. And I like that kind of a sound. You might too. Try it from Bandcamp at a pay-what-you-like price.