Kitten has been storming the music scene for almost ten years, beginning with their first music video on YouTube back in 2011. Over the years their style has stayed relatively the same, but with an interesting detail: older stuff sounds new, and newer stuff sounds old. As in, their earlier songs, like “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny” had that classic pop rock sound that was in fashion during the late 2000s and early 2010s. Now, their later songs, like “Memphis,” embrace that shift to 70s meets 2000s synth-pop vibe that seems to be making comebacks amongst indie artists. Their latest single, Angelina, shares in that style. There’s no better time than now to get a little nostalgic, and this song definitely provides the right space for just that.
The song begins with some chill, wonderfully simple beats that blend synthetic sounds with some classic percussion, setting the scene for a good ol’ head-bopping that instantly puts you in a nice laid back mood, ready for a drive-with-the-top-down on the beachside kind of experience. There’s a fascinating mix of light and dark sounds, synthesized to move up and down, keeping the tone grounded in the middle where it’s not too airy but not too moody. The lovely, breathy female vocals come in, sounding effortless, embracing the simple and chill.
Then, there’s a shift! The chorus comes on, the beat quickens, the sounds become more high and clear, the vocals sharp, the groovy, synth-pop early 2000s vibe comes in strong! Then…it settles back into the chill as the next verse comes.
The shift feels so organic you hardly notice it at first. Kitten does a fantastic job of blending rhythms, styles, and sounds seamlessly into one cohesive piece that satisfies your needs for the best of both worlds.
The chill, upbeat vibe of the song is reflected in the lyrics, which give off a “let’s enjoy ourselves despite the world” message. They recognize that life kind of sucks sometimes, but that’s why music like this exists, to create that space where we can escape for a moment and appreciate the small beauties.
I know you’re trying just to get through life
And the world is a mess
But it helps to forget
When the sun is certain like that
The song is inviting you to ignore the crap that keeps changing and happening and look to the things that are constant and trustworthy, things like the sunshine and enjoying a drive and listening to good music. You should check out their music video for the song, which so perfectly reflects this message in its simple, bright, danceable tones, complete with skater girls and a day at the beach. When an artist sucks you in and invites you to vibe with them, you know it’s good.
