Kate Miller-Heidke- "Curiouser"

Most artists release a second album that's full of nowhere near as good songs. When Kate and (now husband) Keir Nuttall began writing for this album they had nothing to fall back on. What came from this creative outpouring is an eclectic bunch of songs that prove what an amazing storyteller Kate Miller-Heidke is. A change in producer has created a whole new sound for Kate. Sonically it's much more electronic than "Little Eve" but Kate uses this to her advantage and the result is twelve vastly different songs.

"The One Thing I Know" opens up the album but it's a deceptive feel- very techno-rock until the chorus kicks in and then it suddenly becomes upbeat reggae. It's wonderful love song with a bit of kick about it.

A slightly cynical song comes next in "God's Gift To Women". This side of Kate hasn't been seen since her first EP's classic date gone wrong song "Blah Blah". "If we were the last two people in the world/ the human race would face extinction/ before we'd get it on honey" is indicitive of the cleverness of Kate's putdowns.

From the cynical to the sorrowful. "Caught In The Crowd" is an absolute gem of a song. Detailing an incident from her childhood (I don't whether it was real or not) the simple song (only 3 chords) tells the tale of how when she was in school she befriended a loner kid but when push came to shove- literally- she left him to fend for himself. The chorus is her plea for forgiveness. The heartbreak in her voice as she reveals what happens is masterful.

The wonderful "Can't Shake It" brings out the humourous side of Kate. Again, it's something we haven't seen in a while. Detailing how hopeless her dancing skills are, this is an absolute cracker of a song that contains some of my favourite lyrics from her ("I execute the moonwalk like I stepped in s**t/ I can't take it). Set to a relentless techno beat, this is an amazing vocal work for her- although aided by keyboards on the album she performs the whole opening "au natural" when live. It's absolutely brilliant.

We chill out for "The Last Day On Earth"- a heartwarming song about wanting to be with someone until the end of the earth. Beautiful arrangements abound in this one. From simple piano and voice to full band.

One of my favourites on this album is the next one "I Like You Better When You're Not Around" details Kate's wish to take a break from one of her more bitchy friends. Just listen to the brilliant way she changes her voice to become the said bitchy friend. The lyrics are, ironically, almost as bitchy as the person she wants to see less of.

"Motorscooter" is about the love a woman has for a...you guessed it...motorscooter. Actually one that belongs to someone else. It's full of wonderful vehicle imagry including "beep beep" chorus. I really love the use of vibraphone in this- almost gives it a sort California surfing song feel- it's a great driving song and really captures the feel of those old tracks from the 60's without sounding dated.

Another journey back to school days with "The End Of School". It's an all to common feeling you get when you remember how so much easier life was back then. Kate captures that reflective mood well despite the heavy accompaniment.

I must admit that when I heard "Politics In Space" live earlier this year I didn't think much of it but the studio version is much more effective. It's about how our parent's generation left the planet in a mess and expect us to clean it up. Gotta love the line "The 60's were 50 years ago...GET OVER IT!!!!". The ending has a really weird "Strawberry Fields Forever" feel about it- this song also features Kate in full operatic flight (matching vocal lines with a glockenspiel no less!!).

"Supergirl" is probably the weirdest track on this album- it's hard to know whether this track is just a bit of nonsense about women being brilliant at everything or Kate's attempt at a superhero song. Either way it's got a keyboard feel throughout like a Japanese anime theme.

"Our Song" is the ballad for this album. Simple, elegant and pure. It comes from the heart and speaks to the romantic in all of us.

The final track- "No Truck"- is the final cynical, slightly angry song. With a quasi-pizzicato backing for the most part, it's about those guys that demand everybody's attention and want to be molly-coddled and primped all the time and finally the singer has gutful of it all and storms out. I love the way this track ends in almost complete anarchy like the world has fallen apart.

What makes this album so special is the unique environments Kate puts on each individual song. The sleeve art is of a dolls house with each song enclosed in a separate room and that is the perfect visual image for this album. Like "Little Eve" I am constantly finding new things in each track. It blows me away that this album was written so quickly and yet the songs sound like they have sitting around for ages. That, my friends, is the mark of a brilliant songwriter.

Here endeth the lesson.....

Kate Miller-Heidke- "Little Eve"

I rarely use the word "unique" when discussing an artist. But with Kate Miller-Heidke I'll happily make an exception. This young Brisbane-born singer has totally and utterly captured my musical imagination. Her combination of pop voice and soprano opera voice is something unheard of in the industry- add to the that an incredible knack for writing quirky, catchy and personal music make her an incredibly rare talent. I'd also love to add that seeing this woman perform live (which I have done on many occasions) is something to behold. Whether she's sitting behind her Roland keyboard or standing out front she commands attention from her audience, and her ability to communicate with them should be studied by artists everywhere.

Kate made three EP's before her initial album was released in 2007. Even with those EP's you could see that she was looking for a different focus on her music. Strange harmonic shifts, vast arrays of dynamics and vocal colours as well as exquisite orchestrations. If you can track those down I'd heartily recommend them.

"Little Eve" is a concept album of sorts (I daresay Kate would probably cringe at the thought) going through the various stages of a relationship from start to finish (with a few stops along the way). The first two songs ("I Got The Way" and "Make It Last") are about the giddy joys of discovering someone (the former) and then discovering the joys of life (the latter)- there's a freshness, youthfulness and general positivity about both these numbers. We then dive headfirst into "Words"- a dramatic song showcasing Kate's amazing vocal range. The lyrics are a little "out there" (I keep thinking she tried the David Bowie "pull a word out of a hat" method of songwriting) but as strange as the song is you somehow find yourself humming the chorus long after you've heard it (there is an excellent tribute to Doctor Who companion Donna Noble on YouTube set to this song, if you find it, give it a watch).
"Delay" brings us to the next step on the relationship road begun with track one. Now the cracks have started to appear. Already her vocals sound a little less energised than in the beginning. The lyrics are as clear as crystal- why do I do all the the work in this relationship and you don't? Its simple accompaniment brings home the rawness of this song. The next stop is "Mama", a song about aiming to please your parents and never quite getting there. The chorus is an emotional outburst and a cry for acceptance in stark contrast to the lighter, more humorous verses.
We return to our relationship with a re-recorded version of "Space They Cannot Touch" (the earlier, slightly rougher version can be found on her first EP "Telegram"). It's almost chant-like verses place you right in the action with the singer contemplating the time between night and dawn when she's lying next to the one she loves- that deep, personal time when the big, bad world can't invade you. The coup-de-gras in the this song is the climax. In an absolute genius stroke of arrangement (also from her original version) the guitar (which has been playing mainly lower string chords and rhythm) suddenly depicts the sun beginning to rise and you can almost here the sparkles of sunbeam and finally the whole band just explodes in a joyous outburst at the end (including Kate who does an almost full octave slide to reach that climax). It still sends chills up my spine to this day.

The title track (of sorts) follows. "Little Adam" is a bizaare conversation between God and Adam about how Adam has been...er...filling his time. It's punctuated by a syncopated violin pizzicato line that heightens the dramatic tension in the verses before exploding in the chorus with the full band. The incredible vocal skills of Kate are on full display here.
"Shoebox" sees the relationship move on to living together. I have always felt this song was a quasi-sequel to a song called "Apartment" from her "Circular Breathing" EP. The lyrics, again, are nothing short of genius. She goes from the physical confines of a small apartment (the said "Shoebox" of the title) to being a much more metaphorical shoebox- her life is basically all crammed in and she can't breathe. It's a sign of what is to come....
Two more "stops" come up now. "Don't Let Go", a beautiful ballad pieced together from an email sent to Kate's mother by a Belgian penpal is made so haunting by the incredible string arrangement that accompanies it. The second is "Ducks Don't Need Satellites"- a quirky little ditty contemplating how Ducks seem quite happy flying around doing what they do without ever having to worry about the crap us humans do. I think the title alone would make a great bumper sticker.
The last two songs on the album bring the "concept" part of this album- and indeed the whole album- to a close.
The first is an upbeat, jaunty song called "Thanks For Today". Don't be fooled by the brightness of the song. Its lyrics hide far more than first appears. She can sense this relationship is fast hitting the skids and is rapidly going downhill so she tries desperately to keep the energy going by paying a lot of compliments to her lover. Whilst the melody is certainly bright and cheerful the real intent is buried in the mix- listen to the backing vocals in the chorus and it almost sounds like weeping....it all leads us into the final, heartbreaking number "Bored With Me". It's all ended and our singer can no longer hide from the facts. She dissects the final days of the relationship and realises the signs that were there right in front of her which she chose to ignore. The end is poignant, yet quietly optimistic as the whole band cuts out leaving Kate to sing the final word ("sleep") all on her own. It's sung in such a way that you have no doubt that she will get to sleep and live to fight another day.
It's an emotionally challenging album covering so many emotions from giddy joy to heartbreak that it's hard to take in. Everytime I hear this album I find something new. Full credit to not only Kate but partner in music (and life) Keir Nuttall. Surely one of the most potent writing teams in Australia, if not the world.
So you would think that after that album- and with no leftover songs- there would be no way Kate could follow up that masterpiece with an equally impressive one, right? Wrong....

Series 2- Australian Made

It was such a long time since my last post that I decided I should start afresh with a new batch of albums- this time all from my wonderful country of Australia.
It's fair to say that Australia has bred, and is continuing to breed, great musicians and this next series of albums are a tribute to those bands and artists who have made an impact on their home turf.