As prolific as they are entertaining, Cats In Space have won over plenty of earthlings with their 70s-inspired, riff-heavy classic rock sound since forming back in 2015. Now comprised of Greg Hart (guitars / vocals/ keyboards), Dean Howard (guitars / vocals), Steevi Bacon (drums / vocals), Jeff Brown (bass / vocals), Andy Stewart (piano / synths) and Damien Edwards (lead vocals) after some pretty significant lineup changes recently, the six-piece from Horsham still have a particularly strong reputation for putting on a hell of a live show, and have played alongside rock royalty such as Deep Purple, Status Quo and Bonnie Tyler.

Released in 2018, their Cats Alive! live album captured the high energy of their gigs, and alongside regular touring the band have somehow also found the time to drop four studio albums to date. Atlantis is their most recent effort, and despite those lineup changes, it picks up where last year’s Daytrip To Narnia left off – an at times ludicrously catchy and consistently feelgood pile of old fashioned rock and roll that serves as a perfect antidote to all of 2020’s unpleasantness.

We dive right in with some industrial-sized riffs on Dive!, before Revolution changes things up with its rich harmonies. New single I Fell Out Of Love With Rock ‘n’ Roll starts gently but evolves into a joyous, tongue in cheek affair that features some superb lyrics (“I look like a fool / Got fed up with the hair / The music we play, was heading nowhere / And the paper-thin formula really taken its toll / That’s why I fell out of love with rock ‘n’ roll”).

Elsewhere, the Bat Out Of Hell-esque Marionettes is utterly captivating, Queen Of The Neverland rips along at a hundred miles an hour, while Can’t Wait For Tomorrow is a huge ballad, beautifully crafted and powerful.

Hopefully, 2021 will see these cats back on the road and doing what they do best, but until then, Atlantis is a fantastic reminder of how much fun music can be.

Atlantis tracklist:

1. Dive!

2. Spaceship Superstar

3. Revolution

4. Sunday Best

5. Listen To The Radio

6. I Fell Out Of Love With Rock ‘n’ Roll

7. Marionettes

8. Queen Of The Neverland

9. Magic Lovin’ Feelin’

10. Can’t Wait For Tomorrow

11. Seasons Change

12. Atlantis

Listen to new single I Fell Out Of Love With Rock ‘N’ Roll here.

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.