Review: Mr. Kitty – 'A.I.'

MR. KITTY
'A.I.'
NEGATIVE GAIN PRODUCTIONS

Mr. Kitty returns with his sixth full-length studio album which follows on from 'Fragments' the first effort to be released in the wake of his acclaimed “Dark Youth” quadrillogy. His newest effort, 'A.I.', builds on the vulnerable and self-reflecting synthpop of fragments with dark atmospheres juxtaposed against upbeat and uptempo instrumentation.

The intro 'I...' opens with a dark and sinister ambient build before dropping off and the bouncy if somewhat melancholic undo opens with it's classic 80s charm and subtle vocal delivery drawing the listener in. Songs like 'Habits', 'No Heat', 'Crisis Point', 'Lamentation', 'Greater Than Us' and 'I Hope You Fall Apart' give the album a strong backbone of steady dance beats, addictive leads, melodic atmospheres subdued vocals and an ever present sense of foreboding throughout.

While songs such as 'Give-Take', 'Birds Of Prey', and 'Healing Waters' opt for a more straight-forward and dark approach to leave you in no doubt as to the atmospheric intention of the album. It's a testament to Mr. Kitty's songwriting skill to be able to turn upbeat sounds and beats into something so haunting and in places chilling.

The production is slick and clean throughout. The 80s sounds coming through don't sound outdated and the overall atmosphere feels cold, spacey and melancholic. It balances its undeniable dance appeal with the promise of a more introverted listening experience for those who want to go deeper.

'A.I.' is another strong outing from Mr. Kitty who must be considered one of the best synthpop artists in the USA by this point. His songwriting only continues to get stronger with every release and his execution always follows. This album should rightly cement Mr. Kitty as a top electronic artist.  

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