Mirrors is the second album from Cattle & Cane, the band fronted by siblings Helen and Joe Hammill and fleshed out by their brothers Fran (keys) and Vin (bass) and close friend Tom Chapman on drums. Based in the U.K., Cattle & Cane have already garnered a great deal of airplay on BBC Radio, BBC Radio 6 Music, and Amazing Radio for the album and after giving it a few spins, it’s easy to see why. Opening with the dramatic pop sway of “Love On Your Hands”, Mirrors isn’t afraid to put its influences on display early as Cattle & Cane weave Beatle-esque harmonies and crescendos with modern percussion and timeless lyrics and vocals.
From there, “7 Hours” kicks out strutting riffs over a tight beat and throbbing bass with dreamy vocals by Joe Hammill atop the whole affair. “Fool for You” has a grand cheeriness and epic bounce reminiscent of Electric Light Orchestra’s catalogue while “Dealing With The Devil” lurks along, slowly dancing and dealing with the devil in the pale of its own brand of theatrical moonlight. “Time To Get It Over With” finds Joe and Helen dueting over slow burning, sparse instrumentation and “I’ve Been Silent” finds the band waltzing and rocking in the dust.
Mirrors is a fantastically produced record that captures the unique chemistry of Cattle & Cane at its best yet. While the album meanders among quite a few genres, the band handily tackles each sound to create an eclectic mix of styles. Instead of leaving the album uneven, Mirrors’ variety creates a congruent album that reflects and refracts its many influences in a satisfying way.
Mirrors is out May 5th. It is available for preorder now.
