I had heard some of Kawaguchi's work with LSD March before, but "Cat vs. Frog" was my first exposure to the New Rock Syndicate (it's a pretty new project from what I can tell). Being a big fan of psych rock revivalists like Comets on Fire and Acid Mother's Temple, I knew I was in for a treat when the guitar screeches and screams began on the "Cat" side of this lovely piece of white vinyl. The intensity and rawness works well for the group, sounding like a lost piece of garage-psych from the 60's with an extra punk push that turns everything on the record up a few more notches.

Kawaguchi leads the band in several different directions here, lifting this up from being just another burnt out psych-jam and turning it into a haunting sound track to invisible film-noir. The band feels like they're playing in some empty dive bar at the end of the world. Memorable, heavy riffs fit right in next to melodious song structures and wailing noisy solos. The vocals with their sweet crooning quality, really stick out as something exceptional, even without being able to understand the language. The opening track of the "Frog" side is the perfect combination of insane psyched-out guitar and sweet yearning vocals. It feels unlike anything I've heard - a strange combination of 60's pop, noise, and garage rock. It's unusual to experience something that is strangely familiar yet entirely new, but that's exactly how "Cat vs. Frog" feels. 9/10 -- Charles Franklin (12 August, 2008)