Cats in Space's 'Atlantis' - Album Review

Despite first being introduced to Cats in Space back in 2017 when I saw them open for Deep Purple in Birmingham, I have only been a true fan of the band for the past 18 months or so. While I enjoyed the band's performance in Birmingham three years ago, for whatever reason I never followed it up by checking out the band's albums. I did start to follow the band on social media however, so I was somewhat aware of their progress, but it was not until their original frontman Paul Manzi left the band last year to be replaced by Mark Pascall that I started to take notice. Pascall lives locally to me in the South West of England, so I have been seeing him in various bands locally over the years. His latest band, Departed, is one that I am quite a fan of, but I was pleased for him when he joined Cats in Space. His talents have always deserved to be heard by a wider audience, and it seems like Cats in Space, a band really in the ascendancy, was a great opportunity for him. As a result, I went out and bought a copy of 2019's Daytrip to Narnia (which I discussed briefly here), the band's third album which was released a few months before Manzi's departure, and instantly loved it. I was gutted that I had not been following the band more closely since that Deep Purple support slot, but to make up for lost time I gradually amassed the rest of the band's (thankfully small) back catalogue. This stage of my fandom of the band came to a head in December 2019, when the band came to The Wharf in Tavistock on the back of the release of their Christmas-themed EP My Kind of Christmas Album - Pascall's recording debut with the band. With a new album promised in 2020 to capitalise on the success of the new line-up, things were certainly looking rosy for the band. While things certainly are rosy for the band now, with their fourth album Atlantis now just under a month old, the process to get Atlantis out there was not without its challenges. The main hurdle was the sudden, and seemingly rather unceremonious, firing of Pascall a few months ago. While it was a shame to see him let go, especially as I thought that he had done a great job with the band on stage and on My Kind of Christmas Album, I have learnt over the years to not get too bogged down with band line-up changes! Pascall's position was filled a month or so later by Damien Edwards, who seems to have largely had a career in musical theatre rather than in touring bands up to this point, and work on Atlantis continued. As much as I like Pascall, and continue to do so via Departed, Edwards is a perfect fit for Cats in Space. His voice is very similar to Manzi's, but with perhaps a slightly more theatrical edge - unsurprisingly. This makes him the ideal frontman for a band who list Queen, Slade, ELO, and Supertramp among their biggest influences - and the Cats in Space sound that the band have forged on their previous releases is certainly alive and well here. Atlantis, however, is perhaps a little heavier than usual - with more Slade than ELO this time around. The guitar riffs of Greg Hart and Dean Howard seem bigger than ever, but the soaring vocal hooks and keyboard flourishes that define the band's sound are still present and correct. This may be down to the fact that Hart's regular songwriting partner Mick Wilson (Flame; 10cc) has not contributed to the writing and arranging of the songs this time around. He still contributes backing vocals throughout, along with Emily Lynn and Lara Smiles, but Atlantis is truly Hart's project - with the occasional writing contributions from other members of the band to help flesh out his visions.

While I do not think that Atlantis quite reaches the heights that Daytrip to Narnia reached last year with its expansive and semi-conceptual approach - the band's fourth album excels in other ways and is certainly up there in quality with both 2015's Too Many Gods and 2017's Scarecrow. Atlantis is a much more song-based album than Daytrip to Narnia, but that album's lushness has been repurposed nicely here - and forged with the aforementioned riffier vibes. The atmospheric instrumental piece Dive! opens the album out in a swirl of watery sounds, layered guitar leads, and occasional vocoder-enhanced lyrics to give the effect of a submarine descending to the depths. This is a theme repeated throughout the album's artwork, but the album itself does not really echo this concept - with the exception perhaps of the closing title track. Instead however Atlantis tackles a number of a different themes, with its song-based structure getting off to a fine start with the bombastic Spaceship Superstar. In many ways, Spaceship Superstar is quintessential Cats in Space - and it is the perfect introduction to Edwards. One listen to the song should convince anyone that the band have found the perfect replacement for Manzi - as his soaring vocals really compliment the band's throwback 1970s-esque sound, and blends perfectly with Hart and bassist Jeff Brown to replicate those trademark three-part harmonies. Everything that has made the band great over the past few years is present here - from the catchy, anthemic chorus to the plethora of guitar leads and solos from both Hart and Howard. It is a song that takes only one listen to sink in, and it is a perfect opening number as a result. Revolution showcases a little of the heavier vibe that the band have gone for here, with an urgent riff opening things up while Edwards lets rip with an ear-splitting scream. Fear not however, this is not a metal track - but there is certainly more weight here than usual. The verses have a certain crunch that has not often been utilised by the band previously, while Brown's bass is pushed to the fore to add depth and additional snaking melodies. The band's trademark sound is still here however, it is just pushed through a heavier filter. The chorus is filled with big vocal harmonies and catchy hooks, and Howard's fast-paced solo is full of the band's usual melodic phrasing. As a result, Revolution is still Cats in Space - but not quite as we know it! Sunday Best showcases the band's more quirky side, allowing the band to let their inner Sparks to shine. Andy Stewart's jaunty piano melodies drive the song, while subtle Queen-esque vocal melodies elevate Edwards' voice to the next level. His history in musical theatre is put to good use here, and the song sounds like something that could have come from a musical. It has that upbeat, lyrical vibe that fills most musical soundtracks, but the band's core sound is still present thanks to a playful Hart guitar solo and a restrained grandness that hints towards their more expansive sound.

While Cats in Space are a band that are certainly influenced by the British 1970s rock scene, there are occasional American influences that also creep into their sound. I sometimes hear bands like Cheap Trick and Boston in the band's sound, and Listen to the Radio really channels the latter. In another world, this song would have been a huge hit - with Edwards' Brad Delp-esque soaring vocal melodies knotting perfectly with Hart's simple guitar chugs. Cats in Space have written a tonne of catchy songs already in their career, but this song might be their biggest earworm yet. The chorus is ridiculously catchy, and it is filled with the band's trademark harmonies and big driving piano chords. This is a song that is almost certain to become a feature of the band's live sets going forward, and it is easily my favourite cut here as it contains everything that is needed to create a perfect melodic rock/AOR track. I Fell Out of Love with Rock 'n' Roll, the album's main single, is a bit more diverse and theatrical - and sounds like a bit of a throwback to the more expansive sound of Daytrip to Narnia. Famed orchestral arranger Mike Moran adds his string knowledge to the track, while the ladies on the backing vocals add a bit of a Pink Floyd-esque vibe to some of the song's quieter moments - their voices complimenting Edwards' perfectly. As a result, the song is one of the most bombastic cuts here - and I love how it moves from a gentle, piano-based opening to a more expansive harder rock sound with emotional slide guitar lines and a powerful vocal climax that builds on some of the melodies found elsewhere in the song. It is another highlight of the album for me, and showcases that the slightly more progressive tendencies that crept into Daytrip to Narnia have not been abandoned completely here. Marionettes is similar, but it is more of a dynamic cut than a bombastic one. It was put together by Hart and Stewart, so unsurprisingly the song is quite keyboard driven. Piano melodies drive the song most of the time, but there are plenty of other great synth sounds used throughout. Despite this reliance on keyboards however, there is also a chance for the band's new-found heaviness to be displayed too - with a hard rocking and fast-paced mid-section that sees the guitars ramp up and Steevi Bacon's drums to crash through the mix. It is another great track that showcases the band's diversity, while still allowing their core sound to shine. Queen of the Neverland is another riffier track, with a great Bacon drum groove throughout, and it allows the band's desire to take things up a notch to take hold. Hart and Howard's guitars really drive the song with their choppy riffing and interlocking leads; while Edwards takes a slightly more aggressive approach vocally that showcases his diversity. The song might not be as catchy as some of the band's other efforts here, but the energy that it creates and the riffing more than makes up for this - and it is great to see the band branching out a little and indulging in more hard rock aesthetics this time around.

Magic Lovin' Feelin' has more of the band's Boston influence on show, with a big acoustic guitar presence throughout, thin guitar leads, and plenty of soaring vocal harmonies. This is the sort of song that was just built to be a vehicle for hooks - and it shows. Musically it is very simple, but as a result every little guitar flourish and vocal inflection really shines. It is possibly the song here that showcases Edwards the best, as the song has clearly been written to allow the vocalist to shine. This is another song that could have been a big single in another world, as it instantly lodges in the brain and does not easily get dislodged. Can't Wait for Tomorrow is more of a ballad, with lots of acoustic guitars throughout and a simple arrangement that rarely includes any percussion. The guitars and the subtle keyboards are largely all that back up Edwards' more emotional vocal performance - but there are vocal harmonies employed throughout to boost the sound somewhat. There are occasional moments that expand the song a little, such as a short harmonica part from Bacon and a simple keyboard solo, but on the whole this is a song that strips back the band's usual large and expansive sound into something more simple and acoustic-based. The band have done songs such as this before, and they help to provide brief changes of pace that give the listener a short break from the otherwise kitchen sink-esque approach that the band usually employ. Seasons Change is a song that merges the band's aforementioned Sparks-esque quirkiness with their current wish to be somewhat more rocky with strong results. It is great to hear some more big guitar riffs here, but they are merged well with some prominent piano melodies and synth parts to stop the heaviness from becoming too domineering. I get the impression that songs like this are the sort of direction that the band want to take going forward, and I would certainly be interested to hear more tracks like this in the future. This heavier vibe works well for the band, and they seem to have managed to fuse it well with their core sound - which will keep the band's long-time fans happy. The album's title track closes the album out, and it is one final return to the slightly more progressive approach of the previous album - but with a little theatrical goodness from Edwards thrown in. The song starts with just some piano and Edwards' expressive vocals, but it is the sort of track that slowly expands over time with the second verse building on the first with a bigger sound - before it explodes into a big chorus and a strident guitar solo. I like the way that the song is not structured in a traditional way either, and once the main chorus section has been reached it basically comes to dominate the rest of the track - with bigger vocal arrangements each time, more strings from Moran, and plenty of shredded guitar solos. It is a powerful song that brings the album to a bombastic and emphatic close - and again shows a slightly different side to the band's playing. In truth though, the whole album is really strong with so many of the tracks here becoming earworms after only a couple of listens. I still maintain that Daytrip to Narnia is a better overall album due to its scope, but some of the songs here are among the band's best yet - and I look forward to seeing how the band proceed from here now that they seem to have a stable line-up again.

The album was released on 27th November 2020 via Harmony Factory. Below is the band's promotional video for I Fell Out of Love with Rock 'n' Roll.