Singles

Catraz - Knock Knock

Nick Lewis 24/08/2009

Rating: 3/5

Bristol based producer and rapper Catraz spins a charming tale of a night at clubs and house parties. The backing is a little 80s, a little pop, and very triumphant with its synth trumpets and sort-of rave horn. Catraz comes across as a more streetwise version of Just Jack spinning his kitchen sink yarn in an appealing and unthreatening way, but he has a much better flow and revels in internal rhymes: “Dominican women / the colour of cinnamon” is my favourite, and gratifyingly one that gets repeated often. Much to his credit, he also lacks the saccharine element of Mr. Jack, partly due to his standard issue UK hip-hop eastenders accent.

As ridiculous as it sounds, his accent could be the stumbling block to real success for this track, as its pop-leaning lightweight feel lacks the bass to really shake the clubs, but his accent is too abrasive for mainstream radio. Similarly, the lack of bass makes it feel more disposable than I think it really is, which is a shame. Catraz professes a taste for red wine early in the track, but the mix sounds like a fruity white - charming and easy to drink, but a heavier merlot would sit with you longer.

Still, aside from some unfortunate mastering, this track is a cleverly written, catchy and likeable number that displays a lot of potential (this is his first single). If he beefs up the mix and applies his clever wordplay to some more heavyweight material in the vein of Jehst and Braintax he could go far.

Catraz Myspace