Catfish and the Bottlemen
The Balance

Catfish And The Bottlemen reach a crucial turning point in their career with this third effort, christened “The Balance.”

An absolutely appropriate title, perfectly representing Van McCann and his bandmates' attempt, conscious of having a “goal opportunity” they absolutely must not miss: the previous work “The Ride” hit number one on the UK charts and sparked absolutely unexpected attention in the United States, a (not too) secret ambition for success for any respectable band from across the pond.

To fulfill such promises, Catfish do not move an inch and re-propose the same formula that worked well with the previous work, namely an indie rock steeped in very classic references and firmly tied to the guitar/bass/drums combo; they also decide to place the three singles right at the album's opening, starting with the beautiful “Longshot,” already a hit in the UK. Not to mention “Fluctuate,” a track that splits between a deliciously uptempo verse and a chorus perfect for large arenas.

The band's innate ability to always find the right melodic hook does the rest: some “innovation” (if it can be called such) here and there is there too (the blues and shoegaze veins of the aforementioned "Longshot," the post-grunge hinted at in “Conversation,” the atmospheric changes in “Mission”), but Catfish prefer to focus on consolidating what has been previously done.

The beautiful guitar variations of “Overlap” close a compact and coherent album, enriched by the production of an old pro like Jacknife Lee, who will probably not struggle to keep Catfish high in the rankings.

It remains to be understood what the Welsh want to do with their career now: continuing to stretch this kind of rope probably risks breaking it, and innovation has so far not seemed to be the house's strong suit.

For now, we're here, in the future who knows; in the meantime, it's absolutely legitimate to enjoy a great album like this “The Balance.”

Best Track: Overlap