Free Kittens and Bread – American Miserablist

By Ryan G

Words: Ryan Getz

Free Kittens and Bread are emo influenced rock suitable for the person not regularly inclined toward the genre. In other words – me. I found this band at just the right time.

I think I’ve said this before in Tuned Up reviews, but I love previewing tunes on the artists that submit through the contact form of the site themselves and not through a publicist. I’ve found some real hidden gems that way.

It’s safe to say that Free Kittens and Bread are one of those hidden gems, here to rock us gently (and sometimes not so gently) with some sad yet fun tunes. With my recent discovery of Odd Folks and now these guys I could very well be on a new path of new music discovery from the great state of Texas. I regret not seeing these guys play at SXSW.

The album itself obviously encapsulates everything I’ve said about the band thus far, as it’s my only exposure to them thus far.

The band is awesome at writing succinct emo/punk tunes with slightly whimsical lyrics. Take “The Human Ship” for example. The first stanza reads as follows:

pennies on the ground 
concrete covered floors 
I timidly approach automatic doors 
fire in the sea 
biting like shark teeth 
little creatures wash ashore

What the heck are they talking about? I’ve never felt a desire to listen to this type of music on the beach before, but now I have. The band is also adept at mixing influences – heck, in the follow up track “Pioneer,” I get a touch of Turnover, The Gaslight Anthem, and Into It Over It. The previous tune I heard a little bit of MxPx.

Though the band’s true strength lies in their short but sweet tunes (which don’t feel rushed), the band excels in their more run of the mill tunes as well, whether its the driving “How to be Alone” or the nearly six minute long “Bold Promises, Empty Dreams.” They aren’t reinventing the wheel. They prove themselves versatile in producing songs that give off that Goldilocks “just right” vibe – even if the lyrics are sad.

Since Tuned Up started in Columbus Ohio, I’ll throw in that fans of Connections would probably appreciate this band.

American Miserblist accomplishes its goal well and with just the right amount of fun melancholy.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIMgebabaN4[/youtube]

Score: 4.1/5

Free Kittens and Bread: bandcamp | Facebook

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