Girl-groups seem to be a hit again. The other day we featured Sweden’s Those Dancing Days and around the same time I came across Danish quartet Giana Factory (well, a dude plays drums, but still…). Katzenjammer, a Norwegian quartet, are all female, but interestingly it’s a member of the not-so-fair sex, Mats Rybø, who’s written most of the material on this debut album (I guess he couldn’t be bothered getting his own band together).

The band he’s chosen to execute his songs is great, though. All four girls take turns on lead vocal and all are gifted multi-instrumentalists, playing a very wide variety of more or less exotic instruments like balalaika, mellotron, domra, cookie jars and garbage cans (go HERE for the full, illustrated list). Also Kaizers Orchestra’s now legendary pump-organ plays some part on ‘Le Pop’.

Musically it’s all over the place, making their band name quite fitting after a little linguistic exercise. See, “Katzenjammer” is German (Katze = cat, Jammer = distress) meaning “discordant sound”. That’s not very positive, therefore the exercise. Because when looking up “discordant” in the Thesaurus you find “inconsistent” among the synonyms, and Katzenjammer is just that. They are in fact all over the place musically, with folk the only recurring motif.

Album opener ‘A Bar In Amsterdam’ is mariachi-polka with a hysterical trumpet theme. It’s followed by ‘Tea With Cinnamon’, an infectious ompa-pop gem, and upbeat pirate sea shanty ‘Hey Ho On The Devil’s Back’. Bonus track ‘Ain’t No Thang’ is an excellent take on roots blues, ‘Wading In Deeper’ is the albums beautiful, grandiose ballad, ‘Play My Darling Play’ is bluegrass with a taste of Irish folk, while the title track’s verse reminds me a little of The Dø’s ‘Playground Hustle’ before turning poprock, folk and circus(!).

Get what I’m getting at? Then get Katzenjammer. It’s fun, dark, happy, tight, loose… and just really unique. In the most positive sense of the word.

Genre: Folkrock (and more)
Who: Katzenjammer
Title: Le Pop
Label: Propeller Recordings
Year: 2008
Country: Norway
Language: English
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Recommended tracks:
A Bar In Amsterdam – Tea With Cinnamon – Le Pop – Wading In Deeper – Play My Darling Play – Ain’t No Thang