Ball of Wax 34 Songs: amattacat – “Army of Cats”

Matt Taylor’s solo project amattacat – new to the Ball of Wax fold under this name, although Matt appeared on Volume 30 with his band Proud Wonderful Me – brings us another entry into the just-guitar-and-voice category. This recording is about as stripped down as can be, making use of just one guitar and one voice to produce an alternately charming and creepy number that last decade would probably have been labeled “freak-folk.” Unlike “Fairuza” I am quite sure that this song is about cats – it’s right there in the song title! and the band name! – although as with Emiko’s song I still have questions about what exactly is going on here, and am perfectly happy to play the song over and over as I try to answer them. There’s something about the dark, vaguely paranoid environment created by the steadily finger-picked guitar, Taylor’s tremulous yet commanding voice, and the tantalizingly fractured narrative of his through-composed lyrics that I find compelling and satisfying.