Chris Catalyst is a singer-songwriter from Yorkshire in England, but not that type of singer-songwriter. A jobbing musician playing various instruments for bands as varied as The Sisters Of Mercy, Ugly Kid Joe, Mariachi El Bronx, Terrorvision, as well as his own band Eureka Machines, Chris has chucked his considerable experience and reasonably urbane wonder at the world at his first solo album, titled ife Is Often Brilliant'. An encyclopedia of eclectic pop and rock influences for the musical trainspotter, this adventurous album charts Chris's ups and downs throughout 2016. From the universal misery at the death of David Bowie to the personal heartache at the death of a relationship, this album succinctly and accidentally plots the timeline of Chris's battle against ¶he curse of 2016'. Chris plays every instrument on the album, except for the particularly clever piano, which was supplied by upcoming Brooklyn talent Bryan Scary, and it was produced by Chris and Andy Hawkins (Pulled Apart By Horses/Blood Red Shoes/Maximo Park). A witty and heartwarming expedition which might be as much a soundtrack as an album, 'Life Is Often Brilliant' is a heartwarming and uplifting listen with more than a few twists and turns.
