Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Quick Hitters:: Prairie Cat

If I simply mentioned a creative pop artist from BC that loved the triumphant sounds of rhodes piano, drums, vibes, glockenspiel, hand claps, guitar, bongos and bass, would you be interested? I think we both know the answer to that and I guess that's why I’m always a little surprised that more people don’t sing the praises of Cary Pratt – aka Prairie Cat. His Fuzzy Logic/Catbird (the hand painted jewel cases were top shelf) debut, got lost in the ether that is the music blog world, and to quote the great poet Monie Love, “it’s a shame.”

Hopefully, things change this time around.

Pratt is getting ready to release his follow up (update, I just found out it's pushed until January) and It Began/Ended With Sparks sounds like a tighter version of the pop filled goodness he offered up last time around. He still mixes piano and organ with horns, strings, driving drums and subtle textures, but I think the songs heartbeat comes from his quirky personality and the energy he infuses.

From the first vocals he throws over the piano intro on the opening number Just Cuz (that people might remember from the last effort), Pratt shows his charisma. The terrific booming horns and drums help the track grow, but his slightly skewed vocals control the pace and size of the song and own your ears. Pratt has all the skill of some of the more flamboyant piano men we all love; he just eschews their obsession with drama and theatre (although, We Tried shows he could easily settle into a more standard style).

It’s incredibly easy to settle into Given Up as it builds a warming collage of sounds - making it more tender than you could expect from an indie pop track with booming choruses - but for me, Prairie Cat really finds its niche on (the more organic) Cansecos-like numbers like Never Right and It Began/Ended With Sparks. The mix of synths and fuzz jump start the listen, and give the record a more modern feel but to be fair, Pratt constantly transitions the tone and mood of the record constantly. The swagger of Sun Away gives way to a more Latin feel on Sun Away, but both sides of the coin contrast the sunny disposition he offers up on Get Off, the spacey feel of Meanest Genius or the programmed rhythms of Won’t Change.

There’s not a bad track on this record, every one is instantly accessible and enjoyable, but the subtle layers really make you want to sit down alone with your headphones on, mining the tracks for hidden treasures. Do yourself a favor and take a chance on this artist. You won't be disappointed.