Review Summary: An underwhelming introduction to yet another British indie rock band.
The British indie rock boom is currently a tour de force throughout the musical world, birthing acts including the The Libertines, Editors, Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party who all have gained widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. Catfish and the Bottlemen are a product of the exact same scene, a group of four Welsh-born preps with an affinity for playing the style of post-punk influenced indie rock that’s currently huge across the pond. It’s possible that
The Balcony could become one of the biggest debut albums of 2005, elevating Catfish to the same “best new band” status that made the aforementioned acts household names. Lead single “Kathleen”, the world’s introduction to Catfish and the Bottlemen, is a good example of what the band does right on this album. It’s a quick, rousing track that’s filled with energy and swagger, and does a good job showcasing the band’s more garage rock-influenced side. It’s poised to become their breakthrough hit on American alternative radio, and justifiably so.
The problem is that
The Balcony does not contain eleven “Kathleen”s; along the way, there are also tracks like “Hourglass” and “Business” that sound completely limp, devoid of any vigor or life. Then there are other cuts that just seem as if Catfish are trying their damned hardest to copy any other popular indie rock band right now without doing anything to make themselves stand out. It would also help if vocalist Van McCann’s lyrics were a bit less rudimentary – one-off lines like “I wanna love you, but I’ve no time for your friends who can fucking do one” and “Dreams of you fucking me all the time, I know you’re tied up and I know your phone’s fucked” come off as forced and awkward. The overuse of phrases involving alcohol and intoxication coupled with the childish and out-of-place overreliance on the word “fuck” prove that the band still have a long way to go when it comes to the lyrics department, especially since mostly every song on here is about McCann’s trials and tribulations with the opposite sex.
Catfish and the Bottlemen’s debut would be a lot more welcomed if it sounded less like every band part of the British indie rock boom and more like a unique take on this current trend. It’s just nothing we haven’t already heard, and with all the other acts out there that sound just like them, it also doesn’t help that the quality control isn’t as consistent as their peers. While tracks like “Kathleen” and “Rango” prove that they do have the energy to carry out a nice rockin’ tune,
The Balcony is guilty of having its fair share of snoozers and throwaway tracks. In order to remain relevant past 2005, McCann and the gang must alter their formula so they don’t come off as incredibly dated a decade later. After all, wouldn’t it be foolish if Catfish and the Bottlemen sounded like 2005 in 2015?
