Digable Cat have been accused of being
schizophrenic; and while there's a lot of that sort of mania found in young Chicago bands
as they search for their respective identities, at least Digable Cat are interestingly so.
From the cheery bouncy jaunt of the opening track, "Nowhere to Run," vocalist
and lyricist Susie Lofton has a knack for coming across as relatively sophisticated yet,
at the same time, not so much so that everyone can't relate. Her voice fits perfectly in
the baroque but not overdone arrangements -- some with congas, viola cello -- spanning the
gamut: from a soft and somber "I miss you" song, "The Letter," to an
uplifting number, "Pinnacle," about the ability we all have to claim for
ourselves a fresh start in life. Gregg Mandel turns in a respectable lead here, which
melds into Nathan Syfrig's violin solo, and it's not too hard to imagine this uplifting
yet slightly unusual song on your car radio. "Down the Road" carries the disc
into a jazzy, funky direction, sung joyously with a sax solo, capturing the freedom of
breaking the chains of a bad relationship in a soulful, sexy way. "Mary Poppins"
has a great chorus that really breaks from the rest of the material, a crunchy guitar, and
more horns. "Mama Papa" has a soulful bluesy feel, sort of like Janis Joplin,
with a lightning-fast Joni Mitchell-ness to the verses, but it loses momentum with an out
of place and derivative chorus of "How long has this been goin' on?" This is
redeemed by the punk edge of the next track, "Soulgirl," which would be heavier
if the guitars were just cranked up a bit and it were produced by Butch Vig. All in all, Skratch
Traxx is well produced and catchy. The only problem this reviewer has with the band
isn't their schizophrenia, because they do it all well--it's more about presentation: why
is it that in 3 out of 5 of her photos on the CD booklet Lofton is crawling on the floor
in a short dress? Hey Lofton, there's no need to beg or pander to pervs a la Chicago's old
golden girl Liz Phair. You've got a great voice and a great band...keep goin'.
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