Cate Kennan — shadows
Shadows is the second album from LA-based singer/songwriter Cate Kennan. It’s a ten-track affair that blends hazy retro keyboard tones and stark ‘n’ strummed guitars with female vocals that drift between sing-song and warblingly felt. It’s an album that sits somewhere between waveringly nostalgic, off-kilter nursery rhyme vibes and warped/ unwell singer-songwriter fare.
The album comes as either a CD or vinyl release- I’m reviewing the former of these. The CD comes presented in a mini/ four panel gatefold- these features are on the back and front: Cate’s own white-on-black drawings of a horse and a star dotted mountainous landscape.
We open up with instrumental track “The Lone West” with its mix of galloping lo-fi electro beats, steadily strummed guitar, and warbling keyboard jangles. There’s the pitch-wavering guitar flow, melting keyboard wash, and sing-song vocals of “Reverie”. Or the breathy to warbling vocals, plonking keys, and slurred chiselled beats of “Devil's Hour”. The album plays out with the wonky baying electronics meets hazy sing-song flow of “ Calling”.
As an album, Shadows creates its wavering ‘n’ warbling musical landscape- which is part nostalgic and part emotionally felt- all wrapped up in wonderful wonky/ creative charm