The Cat Empire - "Bird in Paradise"

With a cover as vibrant as the music

Aussie Jazz/Latin Fusion group The Cat Empire are back with their tenth album to invade your ears! This is the second album I’ve reviewed for this group — I had more to say about the band, generally, in my review of their 2023 album, Where the Angels Fall — and they’re just a fun group. The Jazz and Latin stylings are always at the fore, but the band also incorporates various other elements from song to song, including funk, bebop, rock, reggae, and ska.

If you’re looking for something more upbeat, The Cat Empire has you covered.

Bird in Paradise starts off with its title track, which is quickly upstaged by “Blood on the Stage”, which is something of a Big Band affair with rock backings.

Several songs, such as “Shooting Star”, lean into the Latin elements by utilizing Spanish lyrics for part (or all) of the song; some, like “Sparrow in the Night”, only use Spanish in the backing vocals.

There is nothing world-altering on Bird in Paradise, but it’s a solidly fun album, and fun is something that is in short supply these days.

Rating: Green