We love to listen to and review local Aussie artists here at 3MDR...
If you are an Aussie muso & interested in us reviewing your tunes, drop us a line and we'll have a chat with you. Reviews can be used across a range of platforms to promote your music and to add to your general 'cred'.
Here's a review our music librarian, & general music nut, Tony did for Katie Harder:
Katie Harder’s album, Far To Go Yet, found its way into my hands by default and Ms Default well knows who she is!
I placed it on my player to listen to and to review and those words ‘Country’ bounced up at me from the genre box; what to do now? Run and hide and pretend I’d never received it or bite the bullet and listen to it. (One might have guessed, by now, that Country, per se, is not a genre I can relate to easily.)
As you can see, I bit the bullet and listened and was pleasantly surprised; I think Drink It In was the first track I heard and immediately I recognised that mellow sound of a double bass which took charge of the rhythm section, for me. Yes, there’s an element of ‘Country’ there, but I’d refer to it more as Neo – Country with lyrics that should really be in a folk song.
Katie’s voice is full of clarity and expression and the lyrics are so well written that I can see her progressing into a more folk like/roots direction; the instrumentation is beautiful and flows throughout the album and is not only distinctive but peculiar to each individual track. Her dobro playing is a gem in itself as is the work of Mike McArthy who also plays dobro, various guitars, synth, mandolin and more.
When and where this is accompanied by either the Rhodes/Wurlitzer or Hammond, the sound is so full it pulls one right in. It is not that often that musos achieve that near perfect balance but take a listen to Mike McArthy’s song Kangaroo paw and if you cannot understand what I am saying about that track, well, sorry, but you are the loser!
For those aficionados of the Oboe and violin, Moody Blue has been written just for you; an instrumental of immense but subtle power.
Carry It Easy appears to be a very personal tale with which many of us could and should relate to: ‘The you and the me, together are we…….’ such simple phraseology, such a brief song but one full of emotion that Katie does not repetitiously ram down one’s throat.
And that is the essence of her work: here I am, listen, learn, enjoy, relate to these lyrics and join me on a better journey.
Due credit must also be given to all those who accompanied Katie on this album, for they have brought her music and lyrics to life.
So, can I recommend this album? Certainly and it is not one of those which needs re-visiting in order to understand it, but it does need re-visiting as it is a wonderful composition.
Tony Bates
www.3MDR.com
If you are an Aussie muso & interested in us reviewing your tunes, drop us a line and we'll have a chat with you. Reviews can be used across a range of platforms to promote your music and to add to your general 'cred'.
Here's a review our music librarian, & general music nut, Tony did for Katie Harder:
Katie Harder’s album, Far To Go Yet, found its way into my hands by default and Ms Default well knows who she is!
I placed it on my player to listen to and to review and those words ‘Country’ bounced up at me from the genre box; what to do now? Run and hide and pretend I’d never received it or bite the bullet and listen to it. (One might have guessed, by now, that Country, per se, is not a genre I can relate to easily.)
As you can see, I bit the bullet and listened and was pleasantly surprised; I think Drink It In was the first track I heard and immediately I recognised that mellow sound of a double bass which took charge of the rhythm section, for me. Yes, there’s an element of ‘Country’ there, but I’d refer to it more as Neo – Country with lyrics that should really be in a folk song.
Katie’s voice is full of clarity and expression and the lyrics are so well written that I can see her progressing into a more folk like/roots direction; the instrumentation is beautiful and flows throughout the album and is not only distinctive but peculiar to each individual track. Her dobro playing is a gem in itself as is the work of Mike McArthy who also plays dobro, various guitars, synth, mandolin and more.
When and where this is accompanied by either the Rhodes/Wurlitzer or Hammond, the sound is so full it pulls one right in. It is not that often that musos achieve that near perfect balance but take a listen to Mike McArthy’s song Kangaroo paw and if you cannot understand what I am saying about that track, well, sorry, but you are the loser!
For those aficionados of the Oboe and violin, Moody Blue has been written just for you; an instrumental of immense but subtle power.
Carry It Easy appears to be a very personal tale with which many of us could and should relate to: ‘The you and the me, together are we…….’ such simple phraseology, such a brief song but one full of emotion that Katie does not repetitiously ram down one’s throat.
And that is the essence of her work: here I am, listen, learn, enjoy, relate to these lyrics and join me on a better journey.
Due credit must also be given to all those who accompanied Katie on this album, for they have brought her music and lyrics to life.
So, can I recommend this album? Certainly and it is not one of those which needs re-visiting in order to understand it, but it does need re-visiting as it is a wonderful composition.
Tony Bates
www.3MDR.com
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