If I had to describe Kitten in one word it would be “fierce.” That would be the word I would use to remember their fiery SXSW performance at the convention center in the early afternoon. That setting is just about the least ideal setting for band to rock it, but they tore the house down. I’ll (shamefully) admit I perhaps contributed to the band’s challenge by sitting down.

A few summers ago I had the chance to see them open for The Neighbourhood at the Newport Music Hall, and I was spellbound by their lush yet aggressive synth pop-rock. Arena-ready and sensual at the same time, the song “G#” especially drew me in, and the past few years I’ve waited to hear more.

“I Did It!” hit radio waves in Columbus a few weeks ago. I was really stoked when the station made the add official, but I had a feeling Kitten could go above and beyond this single. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely a triumphant atmospheric banger as are the rest of their tracks… but I wanted something more. I have to give credit for the infectious way “I Did It!” is sung, the trademark line counter-intuitively taking a bit of a backseat to the rest of the chorus.

“Strange Embrace” follows suit with “I Did It!,” kicking the dynamics up a notch with some well-placed beats. And you know those effects where the voice just sort of trails off into a guitar or synth line, and you can’t quite tell where the voice ends and the instrument begins? There’s plenty of that here. I’ve always been a fan of when artists do that.

“Abigail” is the EP closer, but they continue to scratch that itch for infectious synth-laden music with an earworm of a melody, backed with some effects that get under my skin in the right ways. This is the kind of power ballad people want to hear.

I saved my favorite track of the EP for last, in spite of it being the opening track. The title song I immediately recalled from the band’s SXSW performance, noting singer Chloe Chaldez’ very, very energetic dance moves. It’s one of those songs that make me miss the 80s even though I barely lived in them (late 1988 birthday FTW).

I look forward to jamming this EP in my car a lot this summer. You should do the same. The band can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.