"Territory" Shall Mean the Universe

Album Review

In the 1990s, Zero Hour wasn't afraid to sign bands that didn't exactly go out of their way to be commercial. A good example was the Multiple Cat, an arty alternative pop-rock unit that tended to favor quirky, angular melodies and harmonies. Occasionally, the band provides something with a hook or a groove that jumps right out at you — "For Bernard" and "Sad, Sad, Sad," two of the band's more accessible tunes, are probably the best examples. But more often than not, the Multiple Cat thrives on the eccentric and the off-center. "Kitty Kan't Figure It Out," "My Planet" and "The New Marcus Aurelius" are the type of songs that have to be accepted on their own terms. Clearly, the Multiple Cat was striving for originality on this CD, a decent though imperfect effort that had enough going for it to make one want to keep an eye on the band.