For anyone who has yet to catch these guys in concert, they are probably best summed up by how they describe their debut single, "An oven baked heavy hitter packed full of protein and sprinkled with cheese." Here we have a band who refuse to take themselves or their music too seriously, yet are producing incredibly complex arrangements, and are a stunning live act. The first time I saw them play they had this as the opener, and last night they used it as a closer, but it works incredibly well in either place either warming up the crowd or leaving them wanting more.
Lead singer Chris Moutter has an incredibly expressive voice, as well as being an excellent acoustic guitarist, and this recording starts with him a cafe asking for pancakes only to be disappointed. He is already gently picking on his guitar, and when he starts with the opening line "I have been working for a lifetime, trading money for my soul" he sounds almost as if he is a grizzled old bluesman, with a voice which sounds far older than his years. Then Josh adds some delicate melody over the top on his 7-string, and then all of a sudden, we are into a bouncing rock number. At the back Dan is always providing complex patterns on the kit, shifting the rhythm in different directions while Jesse moves between following the guitars and creating his own counter melodies on the bass, and Josh is always switching styles and sounds. Then at the heart of it is all is Chris, with everyone fully into the music.
There is always a great deal going on, whether it is the touches on the cymbals or a few additional notes here and there. It certainly never sounds like a young band with their debut release, but as if they are seasoned pros. There are plenty of hooks, and the way they drop Josh out of the song altogether for a few bars so he can come back with emphasis is superb. They keep switching and changing so on never knows where they are really going to end up, but they come back to the main theme and obviously said to Josh "at this point go nuts", so he did. When the song finishes there is the sound of Chris laughing as he steps back from the microphone and that to me is what this band is all about. Complex ripping music with great arrangements, yet they all have fun while they are doing it. This is a young band who are going to go places.
Cafe Fistfight are New Zealand's leading Cafe-themed Acoustic hard rock band. Nourishing the soul and enriching the eardrums with bopping classics like Service with a Smile and King Hit Quiche these four fellas are sure to get you back for seconds.