She has a charming voice and her style of music is country, with a touch of pop. The vibe is very much a West Coast one - as you shall see from the song titles as I go through it track by track.
You can purchase it through itunes.
the first track is "Do It Today" which is essentially vocals and light acoustic guitar. Her voice is strong, but with a sweet edge to it. She sounds rather like she's smiling.
"Karamea Cowboy" has a real western coutnry sound, which is quite funny given the lyrics:
"Holed up in Hokitika, living my life on Monteith's bitter..."Firstly, for those of you not in the know, the West Coast NZ is not even mildly like the west of the USA. It's wetter, greener and although there are cattle and it does have a wild feel, it's rather more like Washington state than Wyoming.
"Tall Poppy" is a lovey song, rather sweet, even if the lyrics are slightly bitter. Has more of a pop music vibe.
Back into the true country again - vocals and acousitc guitar, "Gone" is your standing C&W song - ie: about leaving your loved one. Except in this case, she actually is taking pride in the fact that it is she that has ditched him.
The next one I imagine is a real pub favourite - "Monteiths on Tap". It has a rolicking, sing-along chorus:
"Does heaven have a bar, is Monteiths on tap? Why work so hard, if he can't have that?"A rather melancholic song - "Tears Me Down" is about the loss and loneliness in relationships and how it haunts you - bruising a part of you forever. The guitars are a little more emphatic here, and the music is very empathic.
Following it is the equally bittersweet, "Is It Ever Gonna Change?" There are some male vocals in this song too, ghosting alongside Katie's sweet, sorrow-filled tones.
"Better Left Unsaid" is a wee bit more upbeat, but still has the haunting sorrow-edge typical of light acoustic guitar and very low bass lines.
Now we get into the slightly more pop "Not the One for You" which has a stronger guitar and a slightly electronic/keyboard edge, which sounds a little out of place, but somehow also works.
This is followed by her rendition of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues"* She does manage a bit of power and aggression, but for the most part, it's sweet and delicate. Even when the lyrics are a bit sinister!
The twisty guitar leading into "This is Goodbye" is beautiful and delicate, like petals falling. The vocals are soft and gentle, like tears in the morning rain. The general mood - heartbreaking. Haunting. Lovely.
We conclude with a duet "A Long Time Ago" which as advertised as "acoustic" but I think most of the album sounds acoustic (they might be electric-acoustic). Again, this song is all about the voices, the music more as a support to than a force of its own.
At the end, we get a repeat of "Monteiths on Tap" so we can 'rock' out to it again. The lyrics have been changed to first person. This is another acoustic duet.
After listening to music where the instruments create a vast cascade of sound, this is a very gentle, very light album, it is sweet and somewhat soothing. Very pleasant to listen to. As far as country goes, it is blended well with the pop stylings. There is an innocence and naivette to her voice - not because it isn't powerful - (it is) but she feels fragile, like a flower, the sort of young lady who has yet to be hardened to the hardships of life, to truly feel love and pain and loss. Long may she keep that innocence!
Country music is "not really my thing" but I'm going to give her 7/10.
Here's her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/katiethompsonz/
Looks like she's moved into more blues now and away from the country, her voice has gotten stronger, the music more sophisticated. She has opened for Elton John.
* I am so proud of myself for recognising this! It probably helps that I listened to Johnny Cash a few weeks ago.
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