Pet Sounds is the latest compilation from Skep Wax records, this time it's songs about pets and not a Beach Boys tribute. The label has gathered together 15 songs about the joys and sorrows of caring for pets mainly from labels roster.
The album opens with Lola by Lande Hekt a sweet jangly super catchy song, all about Lola the bands cat, who brings her sunshine no matter how unlike her she really is. Under A Cat by Brian Bilston & The Catenary Wires features Brian reading a poem about being unable to do his daily chores, because his Cat has sat on him and he dare not move, for fear of the cats retribution, over a cool jangling riff and sweet backing vocals, will he ever be released, he can't even reach his phone to call for help.
Bo's New Haircut by The Cords is for a pet who is reluctant to have his haircut, especially if they are going for one of those hipster bias cuts, good grief they want me to have the same haircut they do!
Foxy by Railcard tunes them into the biggest current trend in the music I'm reviewing, songs about Foxes, they wonder if Foxy is lonely, hungry or lost, like my own front garden fox Bruce, some of my neighbours want him gone, the glockenspiel chimes like the windchimes over Railcard's back porch, while they get rather wistful in a Belle & Sebastian kind of way, for one of the standout tunes from Railcards new album Two Steps At A Time.
Rufus by Tugboat Captain has a 70's folky easy listening feel, in praise of the super fluffy and cute Rufus, who can get away with anything including chewing your slippers and sleeping in your bed, Rufus may be the cutest, he's also seemingly in charge.
Breakfast by Special Friend has an urgent feel, to this kitchen sink indie pop drama, sweet harmonies and some cool guitar interjections helping to deal with any frustrations you may have, helping you stop worrying. Dark Age by Caleb Nichols is rather downbeat ethereal indie, carefully strummed with high questioning vocals, dismayed at the absence of that pet, that was always there in moments of stress and strain.
2 Cats by Gay Skeleton Club is a great story about 2 cats with very different points of view rubbing along together, the never-ending quarrels, like they want to be the Dolly Mixtures and Try The Pie in a wonderfully celebratory way. Grimalkin Tom by Jetstream Pony sounds like classic jangling Jetstream Pony song for their favourite cat, insistent riff revealing the secrets of this ever-unfaithful Tom and all his catting around town.
I Don't Like Men In Uniform by Swansea Sound is for an angry dog, who's bitten as many people as he could, a proper mean terrier raging against the dying of the light, with clattering drums and guitars adding all the bite they can, looking for another man in a uniform to bite down on.
Kings Of The Animal Kingdom by The Burning Hell has some very sad strings, a dark tale of incredible vets bills some people pay, to keep their pets alive, how sad many people feel when they have to have a beloved pet put down, rather than pay those bills, this song has a more chamber pop feel than Burning Hell usually have, this might bring a tear to the eye, while they claim that pets are the Kings Of The Animal Kingdom rather than prisoners of humans.
Crayon Potato by Sassyhiya is the bands sing along anthem to the bands cat Crayon, listing all the foods she does and doesn't like, over infectious indie pop that I can easily sing along too, one of catchiest tunes on Take You Somewhere that was Sassyhiya's debut album, that closes with some cool purring noises.
Orlando by Oh Hippo has an ambient strings and rainfall intro, close valve microphone vocals, sounding like train station announcements in places, before exploding into epic shoegaze guitars celebrating all the weird things Orlando does, this is the most experimental borderline prog tune on the album.
Marjorie Says by US Highball may tip a wink or two to the Velvet underground in the lyrical construction, to this sweet evocation of a dog running around chasing a ball, going for walks round Cincinnati listening to chilled out psyche indie folk.
The album closes with Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long by The Magnetic Fields who behaves like he is the synth odd pop re-incarnation of Big Mama Thornton's hound dog, all the bad behaviour that involves dogging around town, they want the sort of exclusivity that Fido isn't built for.
Find out more at https://petssounds.bandcamp.com/album/pets-sounds https://skepwax.myshopify.com/collections/pets-sounds
