Aristocrat Barista Cat, aside from being super hard to say really fast, is the first release from Kiwi artist, Lowagrove. Information on the artist is hard to come by but the EP speaks well in their stead.
Opening up with Bird Herd, the collection is relaxed and summery – music that you can imagine playing in the background whilst you drink beers in the sun. Next up, Hungry Caterpillar runs in the same vein, chilled and vibey with odd wee musical elements becoming more apparent throughout the progression.
Balcony is my favourite song of the collection, the first wisps of additional vocals are used in a sparse way that really lifts the piece. Long Gone takes a lot longer to warm up, the intro feeling a bit much and taking too long - ultimately it feels like the weakest point of the collection, especially leading into the next piece Lady in Blue which is of a very similar style, but feels more developed as a whole.
The title named song is last in the running order, and feels quite stilted, especially as the closing piece – there is the idea that it may have worked better as the opening song. There are overall aspects that make the collection feel like an exercise in bedroom production and though it’s hard to decide whether this is a detriment or not, it is certainly interesting.