The Cat Empire are stuck somewhere between Coldplay and Cake. As awkward a bridge to build as that may be, nonetheless it’s the brick and mortar that forms the foundation for the Aussie sextet’s third album. Admittedly, the Coldplay comparison has much to do with the vocal inflections of frontman Felix Riebl — he could probably do a mean karaoke version of “Yellow” if so inclined — but he also shares with Chris Martin an introspective, what-does-it-all-mean lyrical tone. Witness the song title “Til The Ocean Takes Us All” and the line “While most of us can see, only a few have the gift of sight” from “Sunny Moon.” That said, to expect So Many Nights to give you another rush of blood to the head would only disappoint. This is livelier stuff than Coldplay is probably capable of pulling off, full of reggae rhythms, exuberant Latin brass, meaty keyboards and soulful singing. The aforementioned “Til the Ocean Takes Us All” wouldn’t be out of place on a Maroon 5 album, though these cats have far more vocal and musical sophistication. The lone demerit on the song — and this could be said of several tracks — is the superfluous turntable scratching, which comes off as a strained plea for a pinch of hip-hop credibility. From track to track, you might not know what to do with The Cat Empire — you wouldn’t be alone, as their last album Cities won an ARIA Award (the Australian equivalent of a Grammy) in the world music category — but the earnestness of So Many Nights, despite its lack of continuity, comes through without confusion.
--Chad Dryden [May 10, 2008]
