Delivering the equivalent of a boozy night out, mega cat’s Celebrate with Port! takes us from “sober to slanty to outright smashed.”
mega cat have recalled some particualrly rowdy nights out on their new sophomore single Celebrate with Port!. The track opens with the improvisational feel of jazz, as accompanied by an off-tempo rhythm and sporadic percussion.
There’s a sense of freedom to these early moments, to the point where you can imagine the trio spontaneously grooving along to the beat during studio sessions.
These offbeat flourishes — helped along by brooding basslines and ethereal synths — later transform into something more streamlined, as mega cat adopt a more discernible (and utterly danceable) rhythm.
Here, twinkling keys pull focus as Celebrate with Port! flits toward ambient rock. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on their direction, mega cat change pace again, veering toward regal sounds with the assist of majestic synths.
In playing with structure and form, mega cat allow for a consistently engaging listen, a factor especially necessary since Celebrate With Port! is an entirely instrumental track.
So vivid is the track’s landscape that you get the sense of some underlying story, even without the assist of lyrics, which was intentional on mega cat’s part.
Recalling their collective nights spent at a local bar which served port, the single takes listeners on a journey “from sober to slanty to outright smashed,” bassist and guitarist Ryan Devlin explained in a press statement.
“Celebrate with Port! is partially inspired by those high octane, low centre of gravity nights.”
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It’s the kind of sonic storytelling you’d expect from a band with a voluminous catalogue, but Celebrate with Port! is especially impressive given that it marks mega cat’s sophomore single; the follow-up to last year’s Rat Fight.
Alongside Devlin, mega cat is comprised of drummer Aaron Benson and pianist and synthesiser Kim West. With its carefree spirit, Celebrate with Port! is a well-deserved beverage in sonic form, and ushers in what’s sure to be a breakout moment for mega cat.
The trio are only set for greater pastures, too, with their debut self-titled album set for release on February 16. In the meantime, check out the trio’s new single Celebrate with Port! below. Head here to save the track.
