Caterpillar Tracks – Scrape The Summer / 2007 Phratry Records / 5 Tracks / http://www.phratryrecords.com /
Caterpillar Tracks is an act that we know well at NeuFutur. We reviewed their self-titled album a few years back, and “Scrape The Summer†continues with the same rich style. “It’s Scientific, Goddamn†is a track that has a lot of Replacements and 1986-era Goo Goo Dolls present in the overall sound, but this sound is moderated by “Pablo Honeyâ€-like Radiohead and just a little bit of the angular sound of a Franz Ferdinand. Tie that all together with a set of vocals that sounds like Jordan’s (Against Me!) before the band sold their soul to Sire, and what one has with the opening of “Scrape The Summer†is a damn catchy track. “How Secure, Secure†continues with the same energy present during “It’s Scientific, Goddamnâ€, and throws in a set of guitars that are looking back to seventies rock and modifies the vocals a little bit to reflect more of a Latterman influence.
“Oh Middle Brow†is the disc’s shortest track, clocking in barely above two and a half minutes, and seems to be the one track that sets the instrumentation at a level that even exceeds that of the vocals. This different dynamic makes the track even more special and the effective length much longer than the length would normally allow for – individuals can zone out to the sizzling guitars and chunky bass lines present on this track.  “Slippery Slope†goes full-blown seventies with the linkage of guitar and drum, and the result is yet another strong one by Caterpillar Tracks. Speaking editorially, I’m damn sorry I gave CT a 6.8 on their last album; I’m still scratching my head on that one. It may be because the band shines brighter on a shorter format or that they’ve evolved over the last few years, but Caterpillar Tracks are one hell of a band.
Top Track: It’s Scientific, Goddamn
Rating: 7.5/10
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
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