Katzenjammer – A Kiss Before You Go

I apologise for my absence in the last couple of weeks. In that time I’ve jetted off to Berlin and got caught up in the busyness of the Christmas holidays. Now, filled with bratwurst and turkey, I have returned with a new album review for you.

Before the trip to Berlin I thought I’d listen to something German to get me in the mood and recalled a band that supported Keane on their Perfect Symmetry Tour in 2009 called Katzenjammer. Despite the name sounding German to my culturally ignorant mind, the female quartet are in fact from Norway. At this point I thought I’d move on, but after listening to the first couple of tracks on A Kiss Before You Go I didn’t want to listen to anything else.

What’s great about this album is that it reflects the band’s multi-instrumental abilities. Each of the four members are capable of playing numerous instruments and seem unwilling to stick to just one. This gives the album great variety in sound. In the first four songs alone there are five different prominent instruments; ‘I Will Dance’ leads with an acoustic guitar and xylophone, ‘Cherry Pie’ a chirpy ukulele, ‘Land of Confusion’ (steel) drums and ‘Lady Marlene’ a piano.

The other great thing about this album is that most songs will make you want to dance. The aptly named ‘I Will Dance’ is a jaunty country tune that will get you skipping about. ‘Cherry Pie’ is pleasant and sunny; it’s the kind of song you gently bop your head along to while walking through the park in summer (and maybe do a few twirls so your skirt whirls around you. Y’know, if you don’t mind the stares from strangers. And if you wear a skirt). What’s most impressive about this song is the vocal work in the outro as you can really hear the voice boxes working hard to produce the variety in pitch.

The stand out track on this album has to be ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors’. The album artwork that has the four girls in pirate attire matches this song to a tee; foot-stomping drums combined with folky acoustic guitars, banjos and accordions will have your ears sailing on the seven seas. Close your eyes and before you know it you’re in a pub surrounded by sailors and pirates. It once again shows the side of Katzenjammer that makes you want to grab a scallywag or wench by the arm and dance around!

There are three things guaranteed with this album; variety, a smile, and an uncontrollable urge to dance in on style or another. Want to stomp your feet? Okay! What about a barn dance? Why not? A waltz? It can be done! If you like your folk and country with a bit of energy then this is an album you’ll enjoy.