Alpha Cat – “Thatched Roof Glass House”

This collection of seven songs is the brainchild of Alpha Cat, a perennial voice that seems to escape from the silence every couple of years. Firmly ensconced in traditional, yet modern-sounding musical form the songs are extremely emotive and well constructed. Aided by a team that includes members of seminal groups and artists like Television, The Waitresses and Lucinda Williams.
There is an artistic thread that seems to run through the songs that touches upon the range of human emotion. There are forays into darkness that seem as threatening as the gathering of storm clouds on the horizon. Only to be broken up by rays of sunshine that can change the existing tableaus. “Remember Me”, the only song here that is not an original composition on Alpha Cat’s “Thatched Roof Glass House” album, is a haunting song of someone who is trying to recapture the imagination of their lover, while they watch them slowly drift farther and farther from the shores. The pathos and sadness is seen through the musical notes that fall like tears.
Great drumming and great guitars and vocals seem to be the main strength musically of the group. These instruments were provided by the players and producers, among them are Jon Mattox, Fred Smith, Doug Pettibone, Reggie McBride and mastered elegantly by Cosmo Thorngren. With a world-class backbench like that there is no wonder that the music comes alive on the songs “Mona Lisa in a Comic Book”, an obvious stress track that will be surely issued to radio. That track is bolstered by great imagery and melody and insight into the human condition of relationships.
“Thatched Roof Glass House” is the titular track that seems to look into the psychology of this project that deals with the duality of men and women and the trials and tribulations we all go through from time to time. Overall this is an interesting group that has made a third record and is still happily exploring stretching the boundaries of art and commercial music in a way not seen since the great female punk and post-punk artists. Real stuff for real people.