This is a departure for Cathy.  While her smooth, clear, relaxed (and to this listener, slightly Southern-inflected) vocals are front and center and a joy to the ear, her commanding guitar play takes more of a back seat this time out, to other players and to programming,.
Did I say “Programming?”  Sure.  Need a string quartet or a flute solo at 2:00 AM?  Programming allows you to expand your sound in every direction on the compass, limited only by imagination, expertise, talent and taste.  And the programming here, done by engineer/producer John Tabacco, displays ample amounts of each.
And the flesh-and-blood players keep pace.  Cathy’s acoustic guitar is there texturally on every track save one, often supported by bass and electric guitars.  Acoustic guitar phenom Vicki Genfan is in on two cuts, the great Long Island band Cadillac Moon is in the house, John Tabacco steps out from the console to play guitar and sing, and his Bizarro-world twin Occabat Nhoj ventures out on trumpet.   Clearly, there was a lot going on in the studio, and just as clearly, it was a lot of fun.
I have four favorite tracks, three originals for which Kathy shares writing credits, the fabulous “Monsters in the Dark,” “Shibuyu Station”, both co-penned with John Tabacco, and “Kitty Kat,” with Jesse Valentine and Neisha Wright, and a cover of the Doobie Bros.’ “Black Water” with the aforementioned Cadillac Moon.
Pick it up, settle back, and enjoy the ride to where some great music and pure imagination can take you.
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I am a singer-Producer-acting coach..and listening to Cathys Cd gives me hope...what I mean is so much music, is, if I may say "not what it used to be"..thats not to say that all music doennt have its place, but as a Producer I look for one main thing, and that is Honesty and Cathy Kreger sure has that...besides all of her natural talent she tops it off with a complete honest approach..that is unique in itself..I would highly reccomend this Cd..and if ya havent heard it yet, do yourself a favor, and I mean it..its is a Cd that must be heard..I love it it makes me happy!!And isnt that what music is supposed to do..its designed to makes us feel and this Cd sure does that...Rose Gunter
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Cathy Kreger pulls out all the stops on this highly polished, sophisticated pop / folk CD. Supported by producer, engineer John Tabacco, Cathy shows us just how versatile she is as a singer and songwriter.  Whether it’s the spacey melancholy touches found in the title track Pure Imagination or the tribal reflexive pop of Monsters In The Dark or the bluesy New Orleans soul of the Doobie Brother’s Black Water or the jazzy precision of Shibuya Station or the folksy coy playfulness of Kitty Cat or the funky, manic paranoia of the classic Ode To Billy Joe, Kreger is confident tackling every genre.  And she makes them her own. Her melodious voice takes us in and feed us with warmth and sincerity.  There’s even a smoking live version of an original called Rescue Me performed with her crackerjack group What It Iz.  A wacky video of the performance is included.  

Cathy and her producer have crafted a concise work of imagination and maturity.  There is no filler here just pure unadulterated great music.  She’s certainly broadening her musical horizons and fan base with this collection.  Most definitely worth any serious music lover’s listening time.
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