Katie Oates – Edge of a Hurricane
This is Katie Oates’ 5th LP & its ingredients include varied musical genres & styles. She’s a talented artist who sings & writes with clarity. However, in her PR she states she hadn’t written anything new in 7 years & asked herself “Why does it matter?” She felt it was a precarious time to create. How do you respond?
You don’t respond. It’s not your responsibility. You’re an artist. You sing, write songs & produce something optimistic. The voice should still be heard especially, a voice this wonderful. The message could still be enlightening. Katie may have to dig deep into her soul, conscience & memories but that’s how to entertain those who need to hear you.
Fortunately, everything I just suggested, her friend & mentor echoed. This new work recorded in North Carolina is 13 tracks on the Edge of a Hurricane (Drops May 3/Independent/43:00). All originals & many hopeful. That resonates.
Sarcasm & satire can work. Humor can penetrate a challenging song too. But despair should stay in the pen & not on the paper. Katie chose a more loving path & it sounds fresh & vibrant. She can confront with her music but not aggressively or with anger. Songwriters should provide possible answers. But they’re not teachers. Direct hits aren’t necessary. The classic “For What It’s Worth,” or “Turn, Turn, Turn,” aren’t confrontational.
Tell a story. Make it up. Create a moral to the tale. Many good song topics are ignored. Joni Mitchell wrote dozens of songs in her long career inspired by real people, places & things. But she also wrote short stories in song form that were just her creative word paintings.
My only caution is that Katie veers between folksiness & easy listening. Two distinctly different audiences. She balances her showcase but needs to focus more on whether she wants to be Helen Reddy & Ann Murray or Madeliene Peyroux & Joan Baez.
Katie’s intonation & phrasing are all good. Actually, excellent. Her tonality is optimistic & vocally soothing. Her songs are polished & well-thought-out. She’s an entertaining performer.
Highlights – “Reason Enough,” “Up In the Air,” “Took You To Texas,” “The Wrong Place,” “Tango,” “Dark Clouds” & “Edge of a Hurricane.”
Musicians – Katie (vocals/acoustic & electric guitars/harmony/producer), River Guerguerian (drums/percussion), Chris Rosser (acoustic & electric guitars/piano/organ/Wurlitzer/accordion/ melodica/synth pad/harmonies/producer), Parker Foley (acoustic bass/producer) & Lynn Rosser (harmony vocals).
Color image courtesy of Tracy Watts Photography. CD @ https://katieoates.com/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Song Premiere: Katie Oates “Reason Enough”
