“I speak with my guitar, not my voice.” Those were the words uttered by guitarist and co-vocalist Jimmy Doheny mid-set, and speak with various guitars he did. Everything about the Centre & The South gig adopted this harmonious vibe – a contentedness to let the music do the talking.
The intimate setting provided by The B.East – a venue nestled amongst the other live music sanctuaries that call Lygon Street home – complimented the tight-knit four-piece as they busted out punchy funk melodies, laced with the classic roots sound the band has become renowned for. The opening track Something New, Something True, lulled the more-than-willing listeners into a lustful trance of rise and fall, light enough to hold together, but driving enough to entreat even the most stoic of watchers to tap a finger or two.
While not chockablock with gyrating partygoers, CaTS’s soulful, Rasta-funk filled the void, nullifying the empty spaces by injecting them with an earthy rhythmatism.
Each CaTS member was given a chance to respectively strut their stuff in a prolonged jam, a particular highlight of the set. Nicholas Emsley’s haunting vocals added an extra depth to the spiritual lyrics, with clever usage of artificial reverberations exacerbating this poignant effect. Liam Jackson’s deep bass tempo provided a certain thickness, as well as a funky undertone to songs that were upbeat and playful. Jimmy Doheny’s impressive mastery of the lap-steel slide guitar was something to behold. His additional vocals on Do It Together provided a certain variance to the set, allowing for the classic paradisiac, reggae melodies to immerse themselves comfortably. Alex Baird’s percussion proficiency injected an energy into the intensely funky and soulful tracks, though was able to maintain a cadenced ambience in the more dreamlike assemblages such as Do It Together.
Lay Low, the second last song of another Thursday night chapter in the CaTS’ B.East residency, exemplified the band as it stands today – versatile in every aspect of the term. Their ability to incorporate reggae, funk, soul, roots and rock manifested impeccably well in this near-final four minutes. CaTS remain a beacon for the roots/reggae/mixed-genre acts that are lacking attention in the current indie-obsessed Melbourne music scene.
BY SCARLETT TREWAVIS
