The Red and Black

Issue date: 9/30/97 Section: Undefined Section

It's atnip for the ears. Gritty Kitty's debut CD, "Mistaking Airplanes For Stars," contains 18 addic- tive and unmistakably indie-rock songs that are fresher than any well-maintained litter box. Macho rockers steer clear. This album is more akin to head-bobbing than fist- shaking or boot-stomping. Its 18 songs are full of crisp and clear jangly pop guitars and the trademark male and female vocals of its members, Polly Hanson, Jessica Slavich, Jason Taylor and John Hart, which are reminis- cent of such great guy-girl groups as The Mamas and the Papas and The B-52's. The vocal interplay often features intri- cate inversions of phrases traded back and forth among the vocalists, which make Gritty Kitty's songs all the more captivat- ing and, as previously mentioned, addict- ing. The tempo and textural content of the album vary from the melodic and slow paced "Icing" and "Kickball," to the driv- ing rhythm of "Monopoly" and "Rock City." Among the driving tunes, a dividing line is also drawn between up-tempo songs. Most stroll along undistorted like "Tommy Gun" and are likely to inspire a massive outbreak of jump-roping. Other songs feature distortion quite nicely. "When I Saw You" is a good exam- ple of this. Lyrics can vary from thoughtful out- looks on interpersonal relationships, such as "My dreams are only nightmares with- out you by my side," in the song "I-85," to the fatalistic Morrisey-esque "It doesn't matter if I pull through/ Just to get my lips on you," in "Transport Beaches." "Mistaking Airplanes For Stars," proves to be a prolific debut for the band. About half of the songs were written while the band was in the studio. Gritty Kitty's songs, for the most part, remain under four minutes each, not giv- ing the listener a chance to get bored or the songs a chance to lose their flavor. Overall Gritty Kitty has issued an impressive debut. "Mistaking Airplanes For Stars" is a fun listen from a fun band. There are times when the CD leaves you wanting more from a production standpoint, but you can't expect too much from an independent release.

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