Browsing through the shelves at Compact Music this week (yes, I still shop at record stores), I came across a new release from Melbourne, Australia’s The Cat Empire. I hadn’t realized they had a new album coming out, although I probably should have guessed it by their appearance this summer at the Bluesfest in Ottawa.

If you’ve never heard their music, I recommend checking them out. They have a very distinctive sound, which I credit their horn section for. Their style could probably best be described as a mix of jazz, rock and ska.

I love driving with great music cranked up on the stereo. On Cinema, I give credit to Waiting (track 1), Falling (track 2), Call Me Home (track 9), and On My Way (track 10) for keeping my short musical attention span while behind the wheel. The Cat Empire’s upbeat tracks have always been my favourites. The scratching finish to Call Me Home is particularly enjoyable.

I’m happy to report that Cinema has a feeling closer to 2005′s Two Shoes and their debut release The Cat Empire in 2003 than it did to their previous album So Many Nights (2007). Unfortunately I don’t think any of the tracks on this album will have the lasting power in my musical physce as Chariot, Hello, or The Car Song.

Cinema by The Cat Empire

Rating: 3.5 of 5

In One Word: Fun!