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Prior to International Velvet, Catatonia offered modest, lovely pleasures -- pretty, ringing pop songs filled with sweet and sour melodies. Apparently, the band was concerned that they were a little too precious, a little too similar to late-'80s indie pop groups like the Primitives, so they beefed up their sound, turned up the guitars and toughened up their attack for International Velvet, their second major-label album (the first to be released in America). It's a gambit that fails as often it succeeds. Part of the problem is that the hard rock sounds forced, never quite rocking with the abandon it should and keeping much of the album grounded. More problematically, Cerys Matthews has a captivating voice but a weakness for gimmicks -- "I Am the Mob" and "Mulder and Scully" have terrific hooks, but it's hard to get with their self-conscious pop culture references. Still, at least they bring memorable melodies to the songs. When their songwriting comes up short, there isn't enough attitude or snarl to the performances to make them enjoyable -- which is precisely what the sonic revamping should have given them. Even with the flaws, International Velvet has its fair share of pop delights -- it just doesn't deliver as many as Way Beyond Blue, which had a surplus of melody and grace.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Aled Richards, Composer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, Producer, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Paul Jones, Composer - Joe Gibb, Engineer - Roland Herrington, Mixer - Jason Harris, AssistantEngineer - Tommy D, Producer, Mixer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Composer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, Producer, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Paul Jones, Composer - Tommy D., Producer, Mixer - Joe Gibb, Engineer - Roland Herrington, Mixer - Paul Read, Engineer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Composer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, Producer, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Dave Bascombe, Mixer, Remixer - Paul Jones, Composer - Tommy D., Producer - Joe Gibb, Engineer - Jason Harris, AssistantEngineer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Writer - Mark Roberts, Writer - Owen Powell, Writer - Catatonia, Producer, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Vocals, Writer - David Jones, Writer - Tommy D., Producer, Mixer - Joe Gibb, Engineer - Roland Herrington, Mixer - Jason Harris, AssistantEngineer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Composer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Engineered By Greg Haver., Engineer - Paul Jones, Composer - Produced By Tommy D And Catatonia., Mixed By Tommy D And Joe Gibb., Producer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Composer - Engineered By Joe Gibb. Assisted By Jason Harris., Engineer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Paul Jones, Composer - Produced By Tommy D And Catatonia., Mixed By Tommy D And Joe Gibb., Producer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Composer - Engineered By Joe Gibb. Assisted By Jason Harris., Engineer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Paul Jones, Composer - Produced By Tommy D And Catatonia., Mixed By Tommy D And Joe Gibb., Producer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Composer - Engineered By Joe Gibb. Assisted By Jason Harris., Engineer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Paul Jones, Composer - Produced By Tommy D And Catatonia., Mixed By Tommy D And Joe Gibb., Producer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Composer - Engineered By Joe Gibb. Assisted By Jason Harris., Engineer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Paul Jones, Composer - Produced By Tommy D And Catatonia., Mixed By Tommy D And Joe Gibb., Producer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Composer - Engineered By Joe Gibb. Assisted By Jason Harris., Engineer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Paul Jones, Composer - Produced By Tommy D And Catatonia., Mixed By Tommy D And Joe Gibb., Producer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Composer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, Producer, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Paul Jones, Composer - Tommy D., Producer, Mixer - Joe Gibb, Engineer - Roland Herrington, Mixer - Jason Harris, AssistantEngineer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Aled Richards, Composer - Engineered By Joe Gibb. Assisted By Jason Harris., Engineer - Mark Roberts, Composer - Owen Powell, Composer - Catatonia, MainArtist - Cerys Matthews, Composer, Vocals - Produced By Tommy D And Catatonia., Producer - Mixed By Tommy D And Joe Gibb, Mixer, Remixer - Paul Jones, Composer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK LImited
Jones, Composer - Catatonia, MainArtist - Matthews, Composer - Roberts, Composer - Engineered By Greg Haver., Engineer - Powell, Composer - Richards, Composer - Produced By Catatonia., Producer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd.
Jones, Composer - Catatonia, MainArtist - Matthews, Composer - Roberts, Composer - Engineered By Greg Haver., Engineer - Powell, Composer - Richards, Composer - Produced By Catatonia., Producer
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd.
Album review
Prior to International Velvet, Catatonia offered modest, lovely pleasures -- pretty, ringing pop songs filled with sweet and sour melodies. Apparently, the band was concerned that they were a little too precious, a little too similar to late-'80s indie pop groups like the Primitives, so they beefed up their sound, turned up the guitars and toughened up their attack for International Velvet, their second major-label album (the first to be released in America). It's a gambit that fails as often it succeeds. Part of the problem is that the hard rock sounds forced, never quite rocking with the abandon it should and keeping much of the album grounded. More problematically, Cerys Matthews has a captivating voice but a weakness for gimmicks -- "I Am the Mob" and "Mulder and Scully" have terrific hooks, but it's hard to get with their self-conscious pop culture references. Still, at least they bring memorable melodies to the songs. When their songwriting comes up short, there isn't enough attitude or snarl to the performances to make them enjoyable -- which is precisely what the sonic revamping should have given them. Even with the flaws, International Velvet has its fair share of pop delights -- it just doesn't deliver as many as Way Beyond Blue, which had a surplus of melody and grace.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:51:15
- Main artists: Catatonia
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: London Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 1998 Warner Music UK Ltd. ℗ 1988 All tracks (P)1988 Warner Music UK Ltd. except for "I Am The Mob" & "My Selfish Gene" (P)1987 Warner Music UK Ltd.
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