Kitten – “What Year Are We In”

Tsarina Merrin

Kitten – “What Year Are We In”

Tsarina Merrin

The LA pop group Kitten are gearing up to release an album next year, the long-awaited full-length statement following a couple EPs from recent years. So far, we heard one preview of it in the form of “Angelina,” a tribute to Los Angeles and Angelina Jolie. Today, they’re back with another one.

Kitten’s latest is called “What Year Are We In.” That’s a phrase many of us may have uttered in the past couple years, whether because of the frantic stretch of history we’re living through or because of the constant retro/revival arcs of pop culture. It’s also a phrase many of us might be able to relate to in 2020 specifically, when the pandemic and periods of quarantine has created a particular kind of time melt. Turns out that’s what the band’s tapping into. “It’s a bizarre time to be alive,” Kitten vocalist Chloe Chaidez said in a statement. “We have history at our fingertips. Teenagers wear Joy Division t-shirts, and moms listen to Drake. ‘What Year Are We In?’ is a funny question to pose, but it also feels like the simplest way of conveying a feeling.”

Another thing that conveys that feeling is the sound of “What Year Are We In.” It has a bit of a classic rock feel, but filtered through a kind of slick early ’00s gleam. It has a big synth break that feels more ’80s. Kitten has always been a band that’s elided eras in that way, crafting pop songs that sometimes feel as if they could’ve plausibly existed in one of four or five decades. So maybe “What Year Are We In” is right in their sweet spot! Check it out below.

more from New Music