It’s rather ambitious for any artist to release a double-album. With Cats & Kittens however, De Novo Dahl attempt to make an even bolder statement by carrying out the feat on their debut full-length. Actually, whether the Nashville sextet truly accomplishes the release of a “proper” double-album could be put up for debate. You see, unlike Tom Waits’ Alice and Blood Money, Frank Black’s Black Letter Days and Devil’s Workshop, or Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion I & II, the second disc of Cats & Kittens is a remixed version of the first disc. So I guess an individual’s perception of the album really depends on whether they view a remix to be a genuinely original work. For now let’s just drop the argument and talk about the music.

Even without the aid of Kittens, the albums first disc, Cats, is a rather full listen. Comprised of sixteen tracks clocking in around an hour, the disc gives De Novo Dahl plenty of time to explore. A certain level of playfulness present throughout the album with lyrics cleverly twisted just the right way for added amusement. The use of a Speak & Spell sounding sample on “Push Buttons” as well as the light, funky sound of “The Funk” had me reflecting upon the 2000 release Gizmodgery of fellow Tennessean band Self, but this is just one stop on De Novo Dahl’s musical journey.

The fuzzy bass sound of “The Funk” is nowhere to be found by the time “Piggy’s Adventure” rolls around. The song’s punchy bass line and inviting, rhythmically spoken female vocals make it one of the more alluring on the album, but the poppier leanings of tracks “Conquest at Midnight” with its cheeky lyrics and “Listen Up” with its high level of energy are also appealing.

Unfortunately, Kittens, Cats’ remix sidekick doesn’t feature the same level of consistency as the first disc. Not settling to simply tack on “(Super Whammy Bammo Remix)” to track titles, De Novo Dahl exhibits a bit more TLC for the mixes on Kittens than most remix tracks receive. The song titles often offer clues of their origins — “Be Your Man” becomes “Wanna Beer Man?” while “Ryan Patrick Huseman Darrow” becomes “Rhythm PhD” — as do their lyrical content. Musically some of the tracks carry little in common with their corresponding original mix which provides the disc quite a bit more creative credibility than most remixes, but some of the tracks do give the impression of being present just to insure that a remix of each track from Cats was present on Kittens.

Suffice it to say, any time you put a group of six people together with varying musical tastes you are bound to have an eclectic album and Cats & Kittens is no exception. Each song is an indulgence in a varying style, but the album is far from inconsistent. De Novo Dahl’s fun attitude shines throughout and ties the tracks on both discs together into a cohesive unit.