Write or Karl Me!

Lori, Ingrid and Catherine

A good singer-songwriter is hard to find. I got lucky. I recently discovered three great ones. Let me tell you about them.

Back in December of 2016, Catherine McGrath released her first EP called ‘One.’ The ingredients were simple: Four brilliant and refreshing tracks with nothing more than basic guitars and vocals. Less was more. Consider it poetry.

About six months later, her label Warner Music released another four song EP called ‘Starting from Now.’ The production was upped to add banjo, electric guitars, drums and bass. The budget was a little bigger so the tracks were more elaborate. So far so good.

Another 13 months pass but with big benefits. Catherine finally drops a full sized 13 track release aptly called ‘Talk of This Town.’ It truly was. Now the production almost drowned her work in some places. I guess it was primed for heavy airplay. Why combine a full-blown rock ‘n’ roll band mix with a singer-songwriter heartfelt performance? It’s the star-making machinery again. Music is a business, after all.

Somebody must have had the same thoughts as I did. Just three months later, most of the songs from ‘Talk of This Town’ became an unplugged masterpiece ‘The Acoustics.’ Suddenly the multi-layered complexity was gone. No double guitar breaks and serious drum thumps to bury Catherine’s voice and lyrics. Just the real thing. We came to hear her songs with just enough instrumentation to add a blue sky and some fluffy clouds. Nothing more. The mix was now appropriate to the material. I wore these tracks out. This is how you capture a soul. Perfect.

‘The Acoustics’ is filled with delights. It touches on just about everything the heart of a 20-year-old lass from Northern Ireland can hold. Here is simplicity at its finest. If you had a perfectly baked butter croissant, would you layer it with peanut butter and jelly? Of course not! Give it to me basic and simple. Get it right and it sounds like this. Sit back and listen before an open fireplace. Savour each track like your favourite wine. So fine.

I gladly admit all nine tracks are tasty. Close your eyes and concentrate on the lyrics and images she creates in ‘Lost in the Middle.’ You’ll see…it’s true: Headphones are all you need to escape reality on a long train ride. Take the time to recall and dream about a night to remember. Every song is another story from her heart told like a secret to a best friend. Thank you for these magical performances. I’ll cherish them.

Want to know about what happened at the Coldplay concert? All the anxiety that hits when you misjudge your crush? Loves that just don’t come together? How does she capture her world of life’s experiences and adventures like jars of lightning bugs for all of us to enjoy? Tune in if you want to find out!

The production is just as masterful. Listen carefully to the mix of the playful song ‘(You should probably kiss me) Just in Case.’ Catherine’s voice is double tracked in the chorus where one voice is singing and the other is nearly talking in the same meter. You get a fascinating tentative feel that meets the lyrics ever so perfectly. Can you tell I love this record?

Only one song has been leaked out since: Another a soft, lamenting acoustical blues called ‘Grace.’ I was wondering about this long inexplicable drought of new material after so much momentum was gained during the past three years. I don’t know what Warner Music was thinking but Catherine McGrath is now a free agent. Another label will be the victor of quite a prize someday soon. In the meantime, enjoy ‘The Acoustics.’ Money back guarantee!

Pour Me Some Tequila

During my usual prowls around the bestseller lists I came across Ingrid Andress, someone I had never heard of before. I listened to the teaser clip of her song ‘More Hearts Than Mine’ and immediately proceeded to YouTube to see the video. A brilliant song with a deeply personal flair, I was completely hooked on the last line of her chorus: ‘If we break up, I’ll be fine…but you’ll be breaking more hearts than mine.’ Wow.

As Ingrid explains it, she is very close to her family. Completely enjoying her life along with the lives of everyone that surrounds her is her joy and passion. Family is a number one priority and what she does with her life affects them all. You won’t be just breaking up with her. You’ll be breaking up with her mom…and her dad…and… Now you know what one line means!

Ingrid’s persona encourages you to respect her strong self-esteem and assertiveness but if you listen to her lyrics you also become aware of her sensitivity and vulnerability. Listen more for a surprising reveal: She can be fragile, too. She doesn’t want you to know that. Or maybe she does. Her songs enjoy these two layers. Happy or sad? Just toss back a shot of tequila and think about it. You’ll understand later!

Ingrid’s songs are sometimes a tease. This is a very smart lady who knows how to paint a picture and tell a story with confidence. She will tell you just so much and then leave you guessing about the details. You could think up a million scenarios about what her songs really portray and they would probably all be wrong…but it sure was fun dreaming them up! This universality makes her work so appealing to so many.

If I knew you were going to be taking a long flight, I would offer you some of her tracks and challenge you to figure them out. It would be better than any crossword or Sudoku puzzle. Listen to her lyrics and let your imagination get lost in it. What was she trying to tell you? What did she feel? What did you feel?

Similar to the recording history of Catherine McGrath, Warner Music first dropped three of Ingrid’s best tracks on an EP called ‘The Rosebank Acoustic Sessions.’ You’ll find them refreshingly pristine and simple. Ingrid’s voice is up front, dominant and clear without distractions. No clutter allowed! The songs are framed so you can concentrate on her stories. I’m glad they did!

Last March, we were gifted with another eight tracks (including the three we already knew) but this enchilada was loaded with toppings and dressings. Now the mixes are much more complex but the songs still shine through. I would much rather enjoy hearing Ingrid in an intimate club – just her and her keyboard. The lyrics are much more important and interesting than overbearing multi-layers of synthesis and accompaniment. Don’t get me wrong. This collection was as satisfying as the first!

The last song of the release is also the title of the disc: ‘Lady Like.’ Here she paints herself sarcastically as a pirate, but leaves you wondering about what really goes on in her heart. Signature Ingrid at the helm.

I love the song ‘Anything but Love.’ Envision this: ‘One more whiskey sip till this bottle turns into a phone call. One more cigarette till this parking lot turns into your front lawn.’ We have all been there!

Still, the unforgettable tune here remains ‘More Hearts Than Mine.’ I could go on for hours. Ingrid really is like a tall glass of her beloved tequila. Oh, it can bite but it can also make you feel so warm and sweet. Just listen to her!

Nice Reference

A Catherine McGrath tweet encouraged her followers to listen to her latest Spotify playlist. On the list was Lori McKenna‘s ‘The Time I’ve Wasted.’ You had me at ‘hello!’

‘I could have filled the Mississippi river with my tears
No telling what I could have done with all these years
I could have dug out the Grand Canyon with a spoon
For all the time I’ve wasted on you’

I cheered this song when I first heard it. Lori wrote this with masterful ace songwriters Liz Rose and Jesse Walker. What a day that must have been! The complexity of the lyrics and all the hues, textures and colors they paint are just magnificent. It’s the first song you’ll hear when you play her 2014 album release ‘Numbered Doors.’ It took me six years to discover it – but it was worth the wait!

Although this is a heartfelt melancholy blues, in just three and a half minutes Lori pines all her pain and the sorrow. She takes you everywhere she has felt the heartbreak. You can feel her bones ache and the deep dark place she hides her remorse. Boy, this was a long hurtful experience that just about put out her candle. Her heart is on her sleeve and now it’s ours to share. Storytelling at its finest.

This one song is only a quick sample of Lori’s successful 20 year history of writing and performing. Five years ago, she had some serious buzz over a Little Big Town track “Girl Crush” that took country music and its award shows by a storm becoming 2015’s CMA Song of the Year and 2016’s Grammy Awards’ Best Country Song. Tim McGraw gained a mellow yet powerful anthem with Lori’s ‘Humble & Kind.’ It won the CMA’s 2016 Song of the Year and another Grammy in 2017 as Best Country Song. She was also honored as the AMA 2017 Songwriter of the Year. Go girl!

It didn’t stop there. Lori was nominated for a 2017 Grammy for her own album ‘The Bird and the Rifle’ as Best Americana Album and also earned attention for the memorable Bird track “Wreck You.” ‘Bird’ has been her most successful release so far.

Lori’s songs are like a stack of old Instamatic pictures from long ago. Her snapshots of our lives are, oh, so familiar. She reminds us how much of life’s experiences we all share. Her lyrics are so dead on and correct, you almost catch yourself wondering how she knows about all that stuff. Who told?

Do yourself a favor. Take the time to audition all of her ten releases and her live performances online. Her last three discs: ‘Numbered Doors,’ ‘The Bird and the Rifle’ and ‘The Tree’ are a great place to start. As her career progresses, so does her sophistication and quality. Here the patina is perfectly polished and brilliant. Lori’s work is that good.

The wait will soon be over for new Lori tracks. Her eleventh release ‘The Balladeer’ is scheduled for July 24, 2020 and two tasty cuts have already been released. No spoilers here but the retrospective ‘When You’re My Age’ (featuring Liz Rose) is bound the bring the spotlight back once again to Mrs. McKenna. Lori is the heart and soul of what it’s all about. Nice to have you as a friend.

All the best is right here: Enjoy!

Catherine McGrath The Acoustics Warner Music 2018

Ingrid Andress The Rosebank Acoustic Sessions Warner Nashville 2019

Lori McKenna Numbered Songs Hoodie Songs 2014

Post Script:

Are all of today’s singer-songwriters considered ‘country’ artists by default? They’re all called ‘country’ because music publishing and recording is a business. If you call it folk, Americana or bluegrass it just won’t bring those dollar bills into your hat. I really don’t care what you call it. A great song…a great performance is it by itself. It doesn’t need to be propped up with a familiar moniker to become legitimate.

We dedicated listeners have a lot in common. I don’t care what genre a song or artist becomes. I just need to capture some more musical lightning to put in my bottle and let it warm my soul. It’s as if you miss someone. Without music you are not whole. That’s why we look so hard. Do you know how much we miss local record stores? All of those personality-driven radio shows? Eventually, we will still find some more magic and enjoy the satisfaction of a new sweet tune. Yes, all your searching was so worthwhile. What have you found? What do you like? May your musical journey never end!

october-rose-sm

Nikki Yanofsky’s new Solid Gold EP is a delight. Her performances are confident, mature and damn solid. The songs are honed gems with really sweet arrangements and delightful production. Every mix is ear candy. Sit and savor these songs like an after dinner cordial. So satisfying…and you want to return over and over again.

The opener, Young Love, is dressed as a radio single. Mid-rangey and compressed, it really takes care of business and it is ready for success. Best of Me is aptly named. The burners are all the way up for this one. You can tell how much she loves it. The arrangement and mix is complex and thoughtful. Some really tasty guitar work here and the strings fill the sky. This is a keeper. I wish I could hear the wails that must have come out when they buttoned this one up. Smokin’ hot.

Me, Myself and I continues the confident air of this EP. Sail along with Nikki as she holds together. Clean and distinct and properly positioned in this set, it rolls along like a drive in the Spring with the top down. If you’ve enjoyed the new Nikki so far, hold on to Miss You When I’m Drunk. Sure, it has bluesy threads but it swings with authority. How autobiographical is this? It doesn’t matter – she’s so in control and loving it. A fun ride with lots of bounce.

An acoustic version of Young Love follows… throwing away the flash and glitter of the opening version. Stripped down, now you see how heartfelt this song can become. It takes on a similar feel to Nikki’s take on her classic I Believe. The finale, To No1, closes the door on this EP with grace and style. Promise me you’ll listen carefully to the message she sings: ‘I always thought by 22, I’d be sitting pretty with about five number ones… Never thought I could feel so old this young.’ A perfect ending to such a fine release.

It has been a long time since we have enjoyed a finished product from Nikki. This was really worth the wait. You won’t find one rough edge here. The supporting musicians capture every nuance of every track. You can feel how they enjoy and understand. So tight and appropriate, they add exuberance and compliment Nikki with every beat.

Love this EP, applaud and shake off your amazement after your first listening. Aren’t we lucky that this career has so much further to go? Do roses bloom at the end of October?

You bet they do!

	bogiebird on Goodbye Old Friend
	Brock McLellan KC8KO… on Got a map?
	John Hale on Congratulations !
	karlzuk on Listen Here!
	We’re addicted to th… on Rebuilding WNYC AM 820

Write or Karl Me!

A diary of a dad

Perfect Day

Lori, Ingrid and Catherine

A Nice Repair

Watch this

Peace Please

Chicken on a Stick

Happy Thanksgiving

October Rose

New Neighbors