Cat Midway’s self-titled album came out in 2013 via GTG Records. This label and collective has been connected with some midwest favorites like: The Plurals, Narc out the Reds, Fiction Junkies, Scary Women. Tommy from GTG records vaguely knew Cat before hearing their music. One night, Tommy was at a “long-gone hippie-vegan-cafe called Magdalenas” and saw Cat playing these “soft-but-intense really short songs. Just on and off stage in a quick performance – it kind of left me bewildered but in a great way. I still feel that way about the music of Cat Midway. The songs are so well written and the lyrics are funny when they need to be and tell great stories.”
With this album, Cat Midway achieved the remarkable feat for any artist operating in the DIY space: creating a distinctive sound and voice. Whether it’s the direct and idiosyncratic lyrical style, the unbothered affect of the voice, or the minimalism of a few major chords and a simple bass drum. As Tommy stated, “It’s basically a perfect album – the rare instance where someone truly captures their music and live show experience on record.”
Cat Midway is an essential listen not only for songwriting aficionados, but anyone who seeks to get an insight into mid Michigan DIY during the twenty teens. It holds up remarkably well, and the songs seem to only improve with repeated listens. This a unique piece of art where the raw honesty and uniqueness is apparent throughout.
This album has resonated with a few folks for eight years, and it can’t be recommended enough to give this a listen.
By: Tim Bauer and Brad Miller
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