3.5/5 – Indie stalwarts stubbornly stick to tried and tested formula.
Whatever your opinions of their music, you could never really accuse Catfish & The Bottlemen of lacking ambition. Van McCann’s Brit-rockers, when they first emerged at the start of the decade, were never exactly shy about their world-conquering intentions. The Llandudno four-piece spoke boldly of their ambitions to headline arenas and football stadiums. Their no-frills indie guitar rock – which clearly worshipped at the altar of early Oasis – seemed tailor-made for mass, beer-fuelled sing-alongs at summer festivals. In interviews, they talked the talk, especially the charismatic and super self-assured McCann.
The music critics – clearly predisposed to hyperbolic young men with guitars – inevitably turned up their noses. But Catfish, it’s fair to say, had the final laugh by chalking up two Top 10 albums, numerous sell-out tours, festival headline sets, and a Brits Best Breakthrough Act award in 2016.
Much like The Courteeners, Van McCann and co wore their ‘people’s band’ credentials with pride. Unfashionable and unfancied, Catfish & The Bottlemen were acutely aware of the public’s enduring appetite for working class rock’n’rollers. And with their first two albums – 2014’s The Balcony and 2016’s The Ride – the Llandudno band were all too happy to satisfy that appetite.
The big question would, however, eventually arise – at what point would Catfish’s meat-and-potatoes indie-rock philosophy begin to lose its appeal? Could Catfish’s musical comfort zone be exposed as a weakness rather than a putative asset?
The answer, judging by their third LP, The Balance, is ‘no’ – but only just about. Adhering to the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ philosophy, Catfish’s third offering clearly makes no attempts to reinvent the wheel. The songs are snappy and unpretentious, the hooks are plentiful, and – most importantly – the whole thing will sound bloody marvellous when you’re three pints of cider in during a festival set. Van McCann and co recognise their strengths – and to their credit, they deploy them to their fullest on The Balance’s standout moments. First single ‘Longshot’ grows from sombre, introspective verses into a full-blown, classic Catfish anthem. ‘2all’, one of their finest tracks to date, is a rousing call-to-arms which channels Sam’s Town-era The Killers. Elsewhere, you’ll hear biting neo-grunge (‘Coincide’), excursions into metal (‘Mission’) and, of course, your customary full-blooded end-of-album closing anthem (‘Overlap’).
For the most part, The Balance is a triumph – proof that Catfish’s comfort zone is still capable of producing moments of electrifying indie-rock brilliance. Looking ahead, though, if Catfish truly are to fulfil their world-conquering ambitions, a little more innovation wouldn’t go amiss on their fourth record.
Listen to ‘The Balance’
