Cat Cork – Post Man (2024)
Lawyer by day, musician by night, and lover of cats every moment of night and day, Cat Cork infuses heartwarming melodies with profound complexity. The pseudonym of singer-songwriter Stuart Cork, Cat Cork explores the realms of folk, pop, indie-pop and indie-rock in his music. Described as tranquil, wonderous, mesmerising and inspiring, the Australian artist is turning heads across Australia and far beyond those “down under” borders. This is my introduction to Cat Cork, so grab your favourite tabby, take a deep breath and jump into his meowing discography.
Returning after an eight-year hiatus, Cat Cork re-emerges on the music scene with his new single ‘Post Man’. Following his well-received album Ulysses in 2016, ‘Post Man’ delves into old-school folk and folk-rock with an indie-rock flutter clinging to the melody. Modern-day edginess exists in the song; however, ‘Post Man’ is a testament to the intimacy and power of vintage folk-rock combining elements of Lindisfarne, Jeff Buckley, the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. A nostalgic whisper from yesteryear but with a lilt of contemporary artists like Elliot Smith and Phoebe Bridgers. Recorded in his home studio with producer Cameron Taylor and remote production by Dmitry Babkin (editing) and Luiz Tornaghi (mastering), ‘Post Man’ is a product of patience, love, several session musicians, and many adorable cats.
I find it intriguing that while numerous instruments from guitars and drums to strings and horns merge in the melody, ‘Post Man’ retains a simplistic, barebones quality. Soothing and gentle, Cork’s rich vocals slather warmth atop the melody while guitars, trumpets, trombones, a cello, violin and drums swirl about in a kaleidoscopic sonic embrace. Chris Barber’s drums pulsate beneath with Cork’s guitars flicking a gentle folk-inspired tone to ‘Post Man’. Interspersed throughout are Jonas Hocherman’s tuba, Bence Taborszky’s trumpet, Karl Lyden’s trombone, Jon-Paul Frappier’s trumpet and a slither of sax from Samuel Da Silva – all bringing vibrancy to the song. Yet, it is the strings that touch my heart with their raw intimacy using Nikos Mavridis’ violin and particularly Ben Trigg’s cello.
Gentle, kind and tender, ‘Post Man’ flutters in the breeze like a refreshing breath of air on a warm day. Yet, the comfortable lull encompasses a profound theme of hopelessness, loss and the feeling of being ignored after enduring the exhausting nature of life.
In addition to the single, Cat Cork released a lyric video for ‘Post Man’. You can view the video below or on his YouTube channel.
Find out more about Cat Cork on his official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Discover more indie-folk tunes on The Other Side Reviews Indie Folk playlist:
