Something
For Kate - Echolalia (On Murmur through Sony)
Something
For Kate is special. It's almost impossible to think of a comparable
band. They grew out of the grunge era when rock music again allowed
itself to be lyrically vulnerable rather than form fists in the
air and act the tough guy. At the heart of it all is singer and
lyricist Paul Dempsy who has this uncanny knack of coming across
as someone who is revealing their innermost thoughts, feelings and
impressions; but as you listen the songs invariably turn the tables
on you, evoking images and thoughts that are your own. Paul lyrics
come in layers, as if one idea triggers another. Sometimes successive
lines seem unrelated but work up another unspoken thought in between.
Happily Paul has never given in to the temptation of writing out
the lyrics, because their discovery is one of the joys of listening
to Something For Kate. At a gig you'll find the greater proportion
of the audience singing along, not because the songs are anthemic.
The audience is not necessarily sing 'with' the band, but to themselves,
reaching inside like the singer and the musicians on stage. From
the little bits and pieces we pick up, it seems that each SFK album
is hard come by, like the songs themselves, never a simple case
of just going in and banging the songs down. In the space of three
albums we've arrived at a band totally dedicated to the cause, Paul
supported by two people who care about him as well as respecting
his creativity. That allows the group's singer to be as brave as
he wants to be. And of course it's not just about the lyrics. Something
For kate now is very much a group expression. In the space of three
albums they have gently moved from the thick guitars of post grunge
to clean aka REM soundscapes, looking for the sonic subtleties the
lyrics are so full of. All of it is engaging, and haunting.
Something
For Kate is special. It's almost impossible to think of a comparable
band. They grew out of the grunge era when rock music again allowed
itself to be lyrically vulnerable rather than form fists in the
air and act the tough guy. At the heart of it all is singer and
lyricist Paul Dempsy who has this uncanny knack of coming across
as someone who is revealing their innermost thoughts, feelings and
impressions; but as you listen the songs invariably turn the tables
on you, evoking images and thoughts that are your own. Paul lyrics
come in layers, as if one idea triggers another. Sometimes successive
lines seem unrelated but work up another unspoken thought in between.
Happily Paul has never given in to the temptation of writing out
the lyrics, because their discovery is one of the joys of listening
to Something For Kate. At a gig you'll find the greater proportion
of the audience singing along, not because the songs are anthemic.
The audience is not necessarily sing 'with' the band, but to themselves,
reaching inside like the singer and the musicians on stage. From
the little bits and pieces we pick up, it seems that each SFK album
is hard come by, like the songs themselves, never a simple case
of just going in and banging the songs down. In the space of three
albums we've arrived at a band totally dedicated to the cause, Paul
supported by two people who care about him as well as respecting
his creativity. That allows the group's singer to be as brave as
he wants to be. And of course it's not just about the lyrics. Something
For kate now is very much a group expression. In the space of three
albums they have gently moved from the thick guitars of post grunge
to clean aka REM soundscapes, looking for the sonic subtleties the
lyrics are so full of. All of it is engaging, and haunting.
