For an artist thriving in the space between mainstream pop and dank experimentalism, Tentenko sure stays strong at making her pivots feel like surprises. All You Need Is Cat is a five-song collection about…cats, which is a cute enough exercise. But it’s also one of Tentenko’s more eclectic offerings to date, going from gentle piano-guided pop to a cover of “The Siamese Cat Song” to wonky collage built around a melody resembling the Meow Mix jingle punctuated by screaming. “Animal’s Pre-Human” offers the set’s most straightforward number, featuring a laid-back pace built around glassy synth notes (which remind that Tentenko is one of the contemporary artists best at actually channeling the whole “Japanese ambient” thing that continues to get love abroad) and sweet singing from Tentenko herself. The group Neconemuro helps out, but this is Tentenko’s world, and when you listen to the edges you pick up on small loopy details that remind even her most accessible moments conceal something unexpected. Listen above.
