Album Review: Look Wot The Cat Dragged In

Masters of music and magic helmed by Captain Festus McBoyle are back, with their 4th album Look Wot The Cat Dragged In. Another amusing and entertaining offering from one of New Zealand’s top family entertainers, as always delivered in the captain’s flamboyant style.

Created with the support from NZ On Air funding and a wonderful team of creatives, each track is mostly a fun journey through everyday life designed to delight.

Described as a labour of love and a huge exercise in patience, this album contains a couple of “lockdown” songs The Lockdown Ditty and Bubble The Lockdown Song. The former is a slight diversion from his usual happy boisterous delivery and more reflective, ultimately pointing out the value of family being together through this tough time. Due to the “you know what” there is an indication that album number 4 took longer than anticipated to get out to the world. But out there it is in all its glorious fine splendour.

Delightful songs abound on this album. Love Song For Lucy is one example, which I would describe as an alternative love song to his wife. A playful track which delivers big warm tender fuzzies.

Taking a step back on the track listing is a song called Meat. It may not deliver the same warm fuzzies to vegetarians, however on closer inspection it is actually a clever play on words and not a carnivorous buffet. This is a short and sweet rendezvous poem or “meating” if you will. Rather lovely and very clever. Herbivores can rest easy.

There were 2 tracks which veered off from his usual happy go lucky banter and had me rather intrigued. Ode To The Universe confirmed my suspicion that the captain has a touch of magic about him and the last song on Look At Wot The Cat Dragged In is an 11.43 minute meditation track McBoyle’s Meditation Medication, a relaxing instrumental designed to calm you down after the raucous swashbuckling good times of the previous 14 songs. It was a nice way to finish and an ideal gift to those people who need their wee munchkins to float away to the land of nod.

The Captain’s tendrils are far reaching with audiences all over the globe enjoying his infectious brand of humour.

Look At What The Cat Dragged In was recorded at sHOW pONY Studio in Auckland, Produced by Rich Manic, Engineered by Amos Clarke and mixed by Rich Manic and Amos Clarke alongside a team of very talented musicians, artists and technicians.

All in all, this album was a delight to hear with some surprises along the way. With his sea shanty style sound, clever lyrics and engaging storytelling, this comedy/novelty family music artist has done it again launching an excellent highly entertaining album onto his suspecting fans.

If you can’t get enough of The Captain, tune into Shipwreck Sunday alongside Chalky The Cat to get an ear full of his eclectic and entertaining radio show each Sunday at 12.00. “A slightly edgy alternative for those families who require more than just a weekly Wiggle Fix”.

More fun than a squirrel up ya jumper.