This is the debut solo album from Cat Canteri who some of you will know from the Australian Trio The Stillsons. Although a solo album, it does however feature the other two Stillsons in the backing band among other guests.
The opener sounds a lot like Eleanor McEvoy on her rockier numbers and that's no bad thing. It's very accomplished; almost country rock with a great guitar solo in the middle. A great opening number that left me hoping the album was about to continue in a similar vein, though sadly that's not the case.
St Patrick's Night, however, isn't a clarion call to go and get rip-roaring drunk but it's instead an almost winsome song about loneliness with some rather wonderful slide guitar playing that makes loneliness sound quite tolerable. As long as you have the bottle of Bushmills you might have drunk if out and about with your friends, that is.
See My Bones is a more gentle, indie-like song about love. Do we want her surrender? Well yes we probably do as it would also work if sung in the style of, say, Natalie Imbruglia. MoonDarra, though, is barely there at all. Again, it's wistful: a song full of longing and regret of failed crops and failed love and again she reminds me of Eleanor McEvoy both vocally and in her guitar playing.
Haven't Been Alive seems to marry the urge to be either Natalie and Eleanor as one around some pretty juicy guitar playing and lyrics about how her partner has been sleepwalking through life as they look for some hope. Here For Now, In Your Head is slow, downbeat and a sad song of break up and wistful longing. It makes you feel you should open some red wine and light the candles and just sob a little bit before moving on.
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Giovanna is a soft rock instrumental. Quite nice if you like laid back grooves that are all west coast late 70's chill out. Perfect for use on a soundtrack of some wilderness or else perhaps driving through the outback or some such caper.
Two Towels is a sort of a love song with some nice high country picking going on. It's the tale of why she needs two towels. Obviously. Gentle Giant has some lovely late night guitar on it that is almost slow, slow Neil Young-esque as she flings herself at the gentle giant.
The album closes with another instrumental, Hoard Away, which is rather like a country twangy dreamscape of a thing and provides a nice gentle ending.
While this album is reasonably varied, I found myself drawn more towards the louder stuff. It's well worth giving a once over too, however, and if you're looking for some young and a bit forlornly angst-y Australian indie-country, then this more than does the job.
Cat Canteri online
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