Kate Reid - Comin’ Alive
Kate Reid is a folk singer whose songs smack of such honesty that you can’t help but take an instant liking to her. Her lyrics seem closer to free-style poetry and storytelling at times, and she inserts so much personality that I feel I know her without ever having met her. For me, liking particular tracks sometimes boiled down to the story she was telling in them. I tended to enjoy the light-hearted, upbeat tracks the most, with the exception of the haunting “Cry” and turbulent “What I Want”.
The first track, “Starving Artist” was a cute introduction to Kate’s situation. She sings about how she can barely pay her phone bill, how her ex-girlfriends seem to leave the province when she breaks up with them, and how she can’t see herself making it big singing songs for a living because of her “trucker mouth” and favourite theme of “loving women”. Funny enough it doesn’t seem like a gripe at all – she sings and rants with a blithe tone that indicates she is happy with it all anyway.
“I’d Go Straight for Ridley Bent” is an foot-stompin’ ode to one of her musical idols as she tells us how she played a show with him, and his praise for her music made her knees go weak. Some of her more serious songs like “Identity” and “Bright Out Here” didn’t appeal to me as much, though it really depends on the listener’s mood doesn’t it? I could see myself appreciating them more when I’m feeling down.
“Co-Op Girlz” was a hilarious story about how Kate lusts after two women who work at a Co-Op – one she refers to as “Brown Eyes” and the other as “Deli Goddess”. She goes so far as to buy a Co-Op membership so that she can attend the meetings to get closer to these two beauties, and it backfires on her. “Better luck at the AGM!”
The main reason Kate sent us this CD to review is because she has gigs coming up soon in Calgary and Edmonton, and she would love all the hot women out for them…well, I’m putting those words into her mouth but, from her songs I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. Check out her website and MySpace profile to hear samples of her music, and copies of her CD will no doubt be available after her shows.
Kate Reid - Comin’ Alive
Monday, October 22nd @ 8pm
The Ironwood Stage and Grill in Calgary
Tickets $7.00 at the door.
Wednesday, October 24th @ 8pm
The Blue Chair Café in Edmonton
Tickest $8.00 at the door.
www.katereid.net
www.myspace.com/katereidacoustic
Track List:
1) Starving Artist ?????
2) I’d Go Straight for Ridley Bent ?????
3) Times Like These ?????
4) Heal Myself ?????
5) Identity ?????
6) Small Town ?????
7) Everyone’s Fucked But Me ?????
8) Bright Out Here ?????
9) Cry ?????
10) Co-Op Girlz ?????
11) What I Want ?????
12) Crone Woman ?????
