Cat's Eyes
by Cat's Eyes
  • Record Label: Polydor
  • Release Date: May 17, 2011
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
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  1. New Musical Express (NME)
    Apr 18, 2011
    80
    It's warm, out-there pop that was worth all the care and attention that has been invested in it.
  2. No Ripcord
    Jul 29, 2011
    70
    Sounding grandiose and understated simultaneously is not an easy feat, but it's one that Cat's Eyes manages to do almost relentlessly.
  3. The Boston Phoenix
    Jun 6, 2011
    88
    Whether telegraphing heartbreak, world-weariness, or menacing intent (the latter especially on the Psycho-meets-Bad-Seeds nightmare of "Sooner or Later"), Badwan and Zeffira excel at heightening their musical senses simultaneously to the graces of the Heavens and the billowy depths of Hades.
  5. Beats Per Minute
    May 16, 2011
    62
    Instrumentally, every song here is impressive, but the singing is pushed to the fore on the majority in an attempt to instigate a hook, which is only occasionally successful.
  6. AllMusic
    May 16, 2011
    80
    Cat's Eyes is an intriguing album of heartbroken, shadowy pop that transcends its influences when it aims directly for the heart.
  7. NOW Magazine
    May 12, 2011
    80
    Considering Zeffira's vocal training and Badwan's ability to project, they could have made a boisterous entrance. Instead, hushed tones and sweet melodies lure you in and keep you listening.
  8. Pitchfork
    May 4, 2011
    79
    Cat's Eyes is the rare side project effort that feels as (if not more) fully realized than the band from which it borrows members.
  9. BBC Music
    Apr 18, 2011
    80
    At just 28 minutes long, Cat's Eyes certainly doesn't outstay its welcome. Hopefully this is the start of a very glimmeringly troubled yet wonderfully disturbed relationship. Amazing.
  10. The Guardian
    Apr 18, 2011
    80
    It's fair to say said detractors would never have imagined their frontman would be capable of coming up with music as poised and beautiful as the rest of Cat's Eyes' debut album, but he has: the latest step on a career path built on confounding expectations.
  11. Drowned In Sound
    Apr 18, 2011
    80
    In these 28 minutes, Badwan underlines his determination to expand beyond traditional patterns, creating an album that's absorbing and rewarding.
  12. Clash Music
    Apr 18, 2011
    70
    Cat's Eyes is an impressive first outing full of sensuous dreamy atmosphere. Worthy.
  13. musicOMH.com
    Apr 18, 2011
    80
    It's an album that is truly surprising. It's clever enough with the homages to properly capture the spirit of the period they are referencing, but smart enough to not ever just pastiche it.
  14. The Independent (UK)
    Apr 18, 2011
    80
    Zeffira's facility with reeds, keys and strings ensures constantly interesting textural shifts, while the combination of Badwan's imperious, Scott Walker-esque baritone and Zeffira's varied vocal stylings recalls not just Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra but even the effervescent charm of The B-52s.
  15. Under The Radar
    Jun 8, 2011
    70
    Cat's Eyes has allowed both artists to experiment in a way that they otherwise may not have been able to with their original incarnations. [May 2011, p.76]
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  16. Mojo
    May 17, 2011
    80
    Cat's Eyes are the sound of something beautiful in a state of slow decay. [May 2011, p.104]
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  17. Q Magazine
    May 17, 2011
    80
    {The Birthday party is ] more like an unfortunate scratch on what is otherwise a miniature jewel of an album and one of those rare side-projects that deserves a long life of its own. [May 2011, p.117]
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User Reviews

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User Score
6.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 2 out of 10
  1. hydrawithears
    Oct 3, 2011
    8
    Who would have known that Faris Badwan of The Horrors was such a fan of the â
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