Hip Kitty - The Art of War CD Review.
Wicked lyrics. Supreme instrumental skills. Hilarious personal touches. A cover featuring a woman barely hiding her unmentionables with an American flag. Can you really ask for more?
The Art of War is the manifestation of the mastermind that is Hip Kitty – made up of Jen Halverson’s voice and lyrics, Mike Goncalves’ oxymoronic, smooth-but-rough composition and guitar skills, Billy Bones’ bass beats, and Arick Seal’s percussion – which plays a huge role in the mood of many of the songs on the album. Yes, this is a female-fronted band. No, this is not the Jen Halverson Band. Even if she admits to liking attention, all of the members play an equal role in making this band and album the epic creation that they are.
When it comes to fun, The Art of War is well-stocked. The attitude-packed, cat-fight inspired, percussion-heavy “Eazy Come, Eazy Go”, is light-hearted and downright hilarious. (Example: “You say you think I’m easy/And I said your ass is fat”) “Break Me”, a shout-out to all the annoying people in our lives, will burrow its way into your skull and stay there long enough for you to catch yourself singing it embarrassingly loud. “Sweat” has a rhythm that can best be described as the musical version of crack. Everyone’s been at that stalled place in life, but probably wouldn’t mind experiencing it again since “Stuck in a Rut” makes it sound so cool. “My Forgiveness” is such a girl-power kind of song, but the ¾ male band unashamedly flaunts it with one of the most complimentary compositions on the entire album.
The Art of War has style and sass, but it has a heart too. Themes include the rising failure rate of “happily ever afters” (“After Forever”), the need for spirituality in ones life (“Flash”, “Lead On”), and the beauty in the simple miracles of life (“A Same New Day”). In “Alive”, – possibly one of the strongest songs on the album – a combination of a confident vocal delivery and seamless musical production expresses the diligent emotions behind a vow of doing your best in this world, and living life to the fullest. Sure, its been done before, but “Alive” is given its own persona through some kind of magical, almost haunting combination that I can’t quite figure out. One of the most distinct features is a chilly break, mid-song, when you can hear faint public death announcements of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Kurt Cobain. Personal touches like this are a common thread, even outside of the music – in the album jacket, the band gives the listener a little insight into the events, thoughts, or words that inspired them to write each song. While recording “Other Personality”, they made it so that at certain points, it sounds as if there are two voices singing. After “A Same New Day” finishes up – keep listening, you’ll be treated to another intense instrumental, followed by the grand finale: a hilarious, slightly stalker-esque monologue/outro delivered by a neurotic fan of the band – definitely the perfect way to end a unique album.
The special thing about The Art of War is not only that it has a personal appeal and quality that has been lost in many of the mainstream styles, but that it manages to be funny, sad, and profound at the same time, littered with bursts of energy and happiness – kind of like life, wouldn’t you agree?
