We have truly enjoyed listening to ‘Cat’s Game’, and rather unexpectedly, we’d say. The latest album by American troubadour Eric Schroeder, the record feels quite nostalgic, yet striking and energetic, perfectly balancing tradition with contemporary flair. Following up on last year’s EP ‘Turned On The Stereo’, ‘Cat’s Game’ appears to embark on a rockier path, raising the guitar intensity and the roughness of the distortion. It all makes for an eclectic album, firmly planted between elegant power pop forays, slick indie rock episodes and classy hints of Country and Americana.
From a listener standpoint, that’s just what Schroeder is about; absorbing the last forty years of music history, he’s now able to distil each element into a kaleidoscopic, vibrant formula. ‘Cat’s Game’ is the strongest evidence of it. We are big fans of the spaghetti western, spring-reverb-packed guitars in the opener ‘High and Low’. Or the Californian, punchy indie vibes in ‘Emily’.
In fact, groups such as Jet and Rooney come to mind, although that might be a tad reductive, given Schroeder’s wide cultural net. Speaking about the inspiration behind the album, Eric explains: “What if humanity’s ‘problems’ aren’t meant to be solved, but celebrated? What if the rugged, glorious antihero we need refuses to sit quietly in a room alone?”
Recommended! Discover ‘Cat’s Game’ on Spotify:
