Cat Ryan - Blessed Through The TV
Art-Rock/Modern-Shoegaze trio, Cat Ryan, are based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and are Simon Tarbox, Lucas Rothwell and Mary-Anne Murphy.
Their previous single Mannerism saw Cat Ryan thrust into the spotlight, receiving critical acclaim from tastemakers such as When The Horn Blows, The Girls At The Rock Show, Indietronica and Yack Magazine, as well as being featured by Loud Women and Little Indie Blogs.
They now return with their subsequent single Blessed Through The TV which was released today, Tuesday 30 June.
On asked about the new track, singer/lyricist Mary-Anne explains:
Blessed Through The TV deals with the theme of half-heartedness; the limbo between abandonment and commitment. Lyrically the song is packed with metaphors exploring this whilst referring to the original inspiration, being sent an angel figurine (the one that features on the single artwork) from my aunt. The Pope had done a mass blessing through the television, telling people to hold items up to the tv to be blessed. It didn’t quite make sense to me, it was almost a half-hearted blessing, and this sparked the ideas behind the song.
This story behind the song’s origins exemplifies how the band draw inspiration from alternative sources. Instead of writing straight-forward songs about relationships, the trio explore deeper, more thought provoking themes stemming from their own life experiences.
Blessed Through The TV is displaying a fantastic flair for creative instrumentation as well as clever lyricism.
The song’s melody is superb, it’s got a great rhythm with a steady drum with a hint of oriental chimes underpinning the whole track, this is all complemented by a gorgeous vocal.
The lyrics are very tongue in cheek exploring faith and the impact that it can have, I love the opening verse “when the ground freezes over there’s no way I’m leaving here, when the air is colder and a blizzard fills the atmosphere,
connection will be slower but I know I will always be near I don’t depend on the seasons, I’m steering through the whole year, where, where’d you want to go? It’s so hard for me to know I want this to flow like rain falls down a slope”.
The chorus of “Blessed by the Pope through the TV, typed a letter out that you sent me, made a cake straight from a box and gave me vouchers only because they were free” sees some very conscientious dark humour questioning faith on the TV.
Blessed Through The TV is to put it simply an outstanding track, it’s use of instrumentation to give the track a quirky vibe paired with its very clever lyrics makes sure that Cat Ryan are a band that demand your attention.
They demonstrate a uniqueness that will see them stand out in the current indie landscape.
Cat Ryan are definitely a band to be watched, make some time to catch up with their to releases to date you certainly won’t be disappointed.
Give Blessed Through The TV a stream now:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3J1VxXqkvbrAIycT7P66TX?si=NzmfXDDOQiCeBN1vLILG-Q
Cat Ryan can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Spotify:
https://www.facebook.com/catryan17/
https://instagram.com/catryan17?igshid=1tj2vn9trv31
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1dDQzToJSHeGqy2IVlh0yp?si=L2dTcS88R3CXlZfitV2c0g
Photo Credit - Kristoff Photography