Catfish and the Bottlemen does little to instill confidence in the mind of a new listener. Luckily then this young Welsh outfit has the chops to back it up. Never heard of them? Neither had I, but here’s a band thriving on the pulse of good ol’ fashioned rock and roll. At a time when rock is making a steady resurgence through the synthy-haze of electro-pop, thanks to the success of acts like The Preatures and The Arctic Monkeys, Catfish and the Bottlemen are another outfit stoking the fire. New single “Kathleen” wastes little time opening with a fiery burst of guitar and percussion before easing back to let the sultry vocals of frontman Van McCann rise to the fore. It’s obvious that a vixen of the same namesake has fuelled this track, and McCann’s band mates provide a suitable backing of surging guitars, a steady pulse of percussion, and some smooth harmonies.

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