Album Review: Katy Kirby - 'Cool Dry Place'
Texas based singer songwriter Katy Kirby releases her debut post-folk album 'Cool Dry Place'.
The album is out now on indie label Keeled Scales which has been home to the likes of Buck Meek, Twain and Tenci. 'Cool Dy Place' follows on from her collaborative EP with Karima Walker which was released last year. Kirby is definitely making waves on the scene with previous performances including SXSW and Fem Pop Festival, as well as supporting Twain and Why Bonnie.
Having grown up in Texas, Katy was brought up singing in the church and her entry into the world of music was through evangelical pop choruses. ‘Cool Dry Place’ sees her break out of that world and find her own sound. On the style of the album, she says “I can hear myself fighting that deeply internalized impulse to make things that are super pleasant or approachable”.
The intimate vocal delivery on this album makes it feel like she is performing her delicately intricate songs and you’re the only person in the room. The opening introductory track 'Eyelids' is a reminiscent song, with gentle vocal melodies over dark piano chords and warm acoustic guitar sounds that give us a really organic feel.
The second track ‘Juniper’ is a more laid-back pop sound which reminds me of Stella Donnelley or Julia Jacklin. The post-folk style continues throughout the album, which is a just 9 tracks long leaving you wanting more. Also featured on the album is 'Tap Twice' with its huge encompassing sound, which was released as her debut single last May.
'Traffic’ was inspired after becoming involved with someone who was caught up and upset by small things, despite having led a very privileged life. The repeated bridge lyric perfectly sums up the sentiment of the song ‘"well it’s easy for you to say / standing there with your future all aligned / but it isn’t for you to say / when you get off easy every time / nobody has it better than you." The video creates a bit of light comic relief with a cartoon stye slapstick, which features katy in a role of impossible survival to represent the resilience of people who bounce back in society and seem to have it all come easy.
'Secret Language' cleverly references Leonard Cohens classic ‘Hallelujah’, opening with a re-harmonised repetition of his opening lyric 'I heard there was a secret chord, that David played' before it opens up into a full band track. The album title track ‘Cool Dry Place’ is a song about the vulnerability of letting someone love you and the fear felt of jumping into that situation. It starts with a soft gentle intro and progresses into distorted guitar tones creating a shift in feel to portray that feeling of chaos and vulnerability.
There is an acoustic live session for Audio tree which is available on Spotify where Katy plays 5 of the 9 tracks from the record, all performed with a pared down, simple arrangement that shine a light on the clever and playful lyric style.
Cool Dry Place is only around 30 minutes from top to bottom and will leave you wanting to listen to it on repeat.
Words by Tamara Grzegorzek