Customer Reviews

Two Shoes

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My experience with the Cat Empire is mostly taken up with their magnificent live shows. When these guys throw down it's magnetic; they're one of those bands who, as much as you may like their recorded stuff, are a totally different proposition onstage. There are a lot of bands like that; many of them never equal their live greatness on record.

"Two Shoes" ensures that The Cat Empire can be exlcuded from the latter group. It is funky, it is sweet, it is top-to-bottom great and it is flat-out them, just the cats bein' the Cats.

It's tempting to write 10,000 words of ponderouos, strangling praise, but why be pretentious when the album ain't? Let me just hip you to some key facts. Of particular note is that this album was recorded in the same studio as the Buena Vista Social Club album. You can hear it in the brass and the general sense of festivity. It was a great choice.

Of further interest is that these songs are fanf***ingtastic. The title track in particular is a great example of what they do so well in their live shows; they groove you, then they rock you, then let you go, then you're napping, then they wake you up, then they bring you back, now you're rocking harder than you were in the first place. All in one song.

Every once in a while you have to take The Risk On The Band Of Whom You've Never Heard. Might as well be them.

Try try try to find their appearance on David Letterman in mid Feb doing "Sly." What a performance. Irresistible. Better than the CD version.

This is one of my favorite albums. Cat Empire is a fantastic band with a powerful sound, and this album is no exception. They've got a blend of reggae, funk, latin, and jazz that is totally addictive - in a good way.

An Australian friend of mine told me about this band, she said they're interesting .. recently a friend of mine flew to australia and I asked him to get me the CD, not sure of what it is or what it sounds like. As soon as I played the first track I was like "thank God I asked him to get me this". I was blown away by the originality and the feel-great vibe, and the amazing talent of the band in terms of creativity and playing all through-out the CD. I got an edition with a DVD .... all the better their videos are great, they're loads of fun and like their music witty, smart, and original. Do yourself a favor and get this album .. it's time for something new

I LOVE THIS BAND! Like nearly all the other reviewers, I first heard TCE when "Sly" hit the US rotation (2 years after actually being released! Can you believe it took that long?) The tune absolutely floored me. Talk about making the dead dance! What a blast of refreshment in the somewhat stagnant world of US commercial radio! Even the 19 year old aggro-rock-loving kid who works for me couldn't resist it. I bought the album and was thrilled to discover the depth and diversity of this band. So rarely do you hear a great single, get the album and find that the gem you first heard was only tip of the pile. There are so many terrific songs and moments here. One of the bands (many) strengths is having two principal songwriters and vocalists, like Lennon and McCartney were for the Beatles. They alternate between tracks and even within tracks to keep things lively. This band cut its teeth as a live act and didn't even begin to record until they'd been out there quite a while. It shows. Their joy for the live jam permeates the recording.

While they profess full worship of Bob Marley, reggae is one of a number of different musical influences here. You'll find ska, rock, soul, jazz scat, blues, and those excellent "Buena Vista Social Club" Cuban rhythms on this disk. One of my favorite bits is where they shift from a kind of blended ska to a complete Blood, Sweat and Tears organ jam to close one of the songs. Perhaps the most striking thing about the album is that the electric guitar is relegated to a tiny supporting role. I swear it's absent from most of the songs entirely, yet they still rock.

The stereotype of the fun-loving Aussie shines through here. Lots of humor in the lyrics. Almost all of the songs are danceable and even my 2 small kids beg to here the album over and over.

IF YOU LIKE THIS, do yourself a favor and go to the band's website and order a copy of their "Cities" album. More of the same, but even better. They say it represents a further exploration of styles and sounds. I don't think they strayed too far from the path at all, frankly, but it expands on all that which makes "Two Shoes" so dang good.

I bought this on a whim and have not been so grateful for hunches since Fiona Apple's "Tidal". In a sea of hum-drum same-same, this CD is a total rogue wave that will bowl you over and wash you up on an island where cat is king and the barbie is hot. I was completely surprised and woke up with one of the songs (Car Song - it sounds like Bon Scott in Heaven) in my head. I put this multi-cultural gem in the office player and we have all been mambo-ing and pogo-ing for two days. It is impossible to NOT be happy when listening to the ska-reggae-big-band-scat-hiphop. BUY IT!

I first heard this band on a free sample down load of "Hello" from Amazon and I could not figure it out. It was cool and jazzy and I could not put it in any specific catagory. All I knew is that I liked it.
The I heard the Two Shoes CD. Well, I still can't place this band's music into any one category. They are all over the place, but that is what make then one of the best band I've heard in the last couple of years. From the cuban inspired "sol y sombra" to the dixie landish "salt water" they would make any party jump and any drive in the car a hot jumpin experience.
I hear that they are all the rage down under

Buy this CD!!!!

I bought this album almost 2 years ago while I was studying abroad in Australia...and let me tell you it's still in the top 3 most played albums on my ipod (of about 1500 songs)!! The whole cd is great for having a dance party...going for a run...or simply chilling out. These guys are SUPER talented and the incorporation of so many instruments is invigorating!! It's a refreshing thing to find REAL talent and quality music!!
Once the CD grabs(most likely after track1) you're gonna wanna see them live....and you will NOT be disappointed!!

Let me start by giving credit where credit is due: Months ago a friend of mine from Boston mentioned he and a friend heard these guys on the radio, and that they promptly started a search for the record and potential concert dates. On the recommendation of that story alone I put this on preorder & waited somewhat patiently for it to arrive. Thank you Charlie!

I am SO loving this CD! It's interesting that now that I have it I am also hearing the local stations playing the lead single "Sly". That's a great song, but take my word for it when I say that song is only a piece of this tasty musical pie. Every song is different from the last, in that wonderful musically schizophrenic way that is fun, surprising and totally working for them. It is definitely a CD that makes you want to move with its infectious beats, even if it's just chair dancing or thumping out rhythms on the steering wheel as you head down the freeway : ). Speaking of beat, it is obvious these guys enjoy and are influenced by many musical genres and are have an amazing time working it all in and doing what they do. I can only imagine how fun they are to see in person!

Interestingly enough some of the songs I wasn't quite sure of initially are turning out to be some of my favorites. And talk about earworms! I've had, on more than one occasion, "I'll get you an all night movie marathon & a triple espresso so you can stay awake" looping through my head for about a day!

My only regret - I discovered these guys the day AFTER they played their only date in San Francisco i see on their tour calendar this year!!!

A good friend of mine introduced me to this talented band a while ago and I downloaded all their music online; I'm the kind of person who listens a lot but only pays for and keeps listening to the really good stuff. After a few days I decided that the band was more than worth my money and purchased their cds. The Cat Empire is truly an original band in a time when true originality is as scarce as the raw talent they possess! If you are a music lover I strongly suggest that if nothing else you download some of their music (yes pirating) and listen to it, I guarantee you will come back to buy it! =]