One Nation, Divisible
Katie Kate studied classical music and played the flute in college, but since her days at Cornish University, she has gathered her own electronic orchestra in which she is the maestro. On her sophomore release, Nation, Katie Kate proves she is a hip hop virtuoso, crafting interesting beats, spitting fierce lyrics and singing formidable hooks. These 10 compositions start off strong but starts to fall flat after a few songs.
“Canyon” is the first song on the album that automatically jumps out at you, starting off bleak and climaxing into a self-affirmative chant encouraging her to “be brave.” It encompasses all the attributes Kate excels at: rich soundscapes, well-penned lyrics and a voice reminiscent of Madonna’s. “Rushmore” is another great track, featuring braggadocio lyrics like, “I am set in stone/I am Rushmore.”
The spark of these songs, however get overpowered by some of the more cliché-ridden ones. Tracks like “Buffalo” and “Sadie Hawkins” come across as empty pop songs that don’t have the same pizzazz as some of their comrades. It’s not just their musical stylings that bring forth this criticism; lyrically they aren’t of the same caliber either. “I’m going to Sadie Hawkins you/you won’t even know what to do,” and “I feel like the very last buffalo” come off sounding childlike in comparison to some of the other gems tucked away here.
Nation shows that Katie Kate has great talent, but still hasn’t grown to her full potential. Moments of sheer awesomeness arise here and there but still there are others that peter out. Katie Kate possesses all the tools needed at her disposal, she knows how to use them to the best of their abilities. Now she just needs to learn how to trim the fat. These 10 compositions start off strong, but when all is said it leaves a lot to be desired.
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