KATELL KEINEG: What's The Only Thing Worse Than The End Of Time?

Katell Keineg

What's The Only Thing Worse Than The End Of Time?

© 2002 Katell Keineg (634479253423)

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This EP from Katell Keineg features the single from the new album HIGH JULY, plus 3 non-album songs, including the stunning, live version of Nick Drake's “River Man”.

notes

File under Pop-Rock: The four tracks comprising What's the Only Thing Worse Than the End of Time constitute a bold departure for Keineg, who has spent the last five years performing, traveling and writing. The new music traverses a broad spectrum of moods and sounds, ranging from the moving, major-chord gratitude of "Beautiful Day" to the E.P.'s plaintive, slow-burning title track, which is mixed by Bob Brockman (The O'Jays, Laurie Anderson). Co-produced by Dim Gurevich and Robbie Adams (U2, Smashing Pumpkins), the recording includes a live performance of "River Man," from a tribute to Nick Drake held at St. Ann's Church in Brooklyn, NY. Of that performance the New York Times said, "Ms. Keineg, a young songwriter due for her own cult, traveled the fine edge between rapture and loss essential to Mr. Drake's art."





Rolling Stone 11.09.02

Review of What's the Only Thing Worse Than the End of Time?


There's a theory that certain musical frequencies affect people emotionally. Katell Keineg has found them. It's damn near impossible to listen to her earthy and ethereal voice without feeling the spirit move you. The Franco-Welsh (she sings in English, but old-world Europe oozes from her throaty croon and gracefully gangly limbs) singer/songwriter's latest effort, the EP What's the Only Thing Worse Than the End of Time?, is a brief testament to her power to permeate. The standouts are a chilling live version of Nick Drake's "River Man" (Keineg is especially powerful onstage) and the celebratory "Beautiful Day," which sounds like a chance meeting between a Sixties-pop melody line and a white girl on a Caribbean island. What's the Only Thing seems to embody both of those worlds, suggesting that Keineg's travels over the past five years, during which she was AWOL from the studio, helped her find a balance between her poetic roots and pop sensibility. If What's the Only Thing is any indication of what is to come from Keineg, prepare to be seriously hooked by her frequencies.


- Robin Aigner

reviews

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  • A beautiful sampler for Katell's recent work.
    author: Jon

    Like others on this review page, I can't believe that Katell Keineg isn't world renowned for her beautiful voice and poetic music. Perhaps she wouldn't have it any other way, and it's certainly nice to feel that you are in on a secret. Two of the tracks are only available on this EP. River Man is an exceptional live performance, and Waiting... a gorgeous brood of a song. Great to see some live dates coming up in the UK in April and May too.

  • Return of the Voice
    author: Kenna

    Ms. Keineg, you are a rare bird. You lift me up. Thank you for this ep. The songs within are ridiculously beautiful. The title track was my new favorite song until I got to "Waiting For The Weight Of Space." Damn woman, you're killing me.

  • I loved it!
    author: Sumiko, Illinois

    I've been waiting FOREVER for something new from Katell Keineg. I love her first two cds and play them constantly. Okay, this probably isn't the sort of incisive review that you were looking for but I think that she has a beautiful voice and is a unique writer and enjoy all three of her cds.

  • Intense Beauty
    author: James

    This is an amazing EP. Buy it now if you know what is good for you.

  • A review
    author: The Katell Keineg Community's Journal

    After the release of Jet, I really didn't know what to expect this time around. I think most people would agree that Jet was a huge departure from Katell's first recording (O Seasons O Castles) but no less dazzling. As expected, my hopes were high. Considering that Ms. Keineg hadn't released any new material since 1997 (Jet), I couldn't help but wonder where she might be musically. It'd been a while and anything is possible. But I can honestly say that the new EP does not disappoint, in fact, it exceeded all of my expectations. With a four song EP you've got to be careful, one or two not-so-good songs can absolutely ruin the package but that does not happen here. It's easy to find yourself setting the EP on repeat, especially when each track has a "you will never leave my CD player" quality to them. From the soothing sounds of "Beautiful Day" which reminds me of a good day at the beach, some place distant, beautiful but accessible. There's the rockin' title track "What the only thing worse than the end of time?" which was written the night of the millennium, the mysterious "Waiting for the weight of Space" to her ridiculously gorgeous rendition of Nick Drake's "River Man" which takes live performance to a new height, there is something here for everybody. This is simply beautiful, a tour de force.

  • Great to have her back on top form.
    author: Geoffrey Beare

    Great to have her back after an absence of five years, and on form. Only four tracks, but there is more variety of mood and emotion here than you will find on most full CDs. She runs the full gamut from the lyrical beauty of Nick Drake's River Man through the intensity of What's the Only Thing . . . to the lilting rhythms of Beautiful Day. Wonderful.

  • More, please!
    author: Skye, Austin, TX

    Katell just keeps changing, and this EP will remind you of what you love about her from previous efforts - but it's new and interesting as well.

  • author: Cliff

    Amazing EP. Too short though. 'River Man' is stunning. Anyone who attended the live show was lucky indeed. Can't wait for more. I feel like she's always been an amazing little secret that not enough people know about.

  • CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, BUT COMMERCIALLY OBSCURE
    author: Kozmicblues.net

    KATELL KEINEG CD: What's The Only Thing Worse Than The End Of Time? CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, BUT COMMERCIALLY OBSCURE I'm one of a small hardy band of humans who champion the music of this Welsh? Irish? Breton? siren (she seems to have multiple origins, but it doesn't really matter) here in America. Though Katell Keineg stays busy with various projects, she is not prolific in the recording studio with her own music. It's been a while since her last release and this one has just four songs, one a Nick Drake cover. Anything from Keineg is important news at KOZMICBLUES.NET. And this EP delivers. It leaves us wanting more, but if this is all she really wanted to say right now, that's fine. She either has an unerring self-editor or is constitutionally incapable of writing inferior material. Maybe she's saving up for a new full-length release. We can only hope. On this mature work, Keineg's otherworldly voice, incantatory delivery, exquisite melodic instincts and anthemic beats remain intact. The sound is richly textured yet comes across as less "produced" than her Elektra albums, which suits her voice and lyrics just fine. Keineg could sing the Albany phone book and make it sound important and intriguing. Even the hummable "Beautiful Day," my nominee for happiest song of the year, is given a ghostly quality by the fading in and out of several vocal tracks.

  • intelligent, thoughtful, soulful, a wonderful follow up!
    author: Joe

    The only thing disappointing about this release is that it's only an EP--you'll be wanting more and more. Katell's voice is wonderful and amazing, regardless if she wailing, crooning, or whispering. "What's the only thing worse than the end of time" and "Beautiful day" are my current favorites off the CD--but I once listened to "Riverman" for 2 hours straight! Hooray for Katell Keineg.

  • A four-song masterpiece.
    author: Victor (TheChallenger)

    Fans have been waiting for something new from Katell Keineg for quite a while but the wait hasn’t been that long for Keineg who has kept herself busy producing and co-writing a song for The Floors' "Morphine Watch" album, collaborating on Clare Langan's art film "Too Dark For Night" and a number of other projects. Katell finally gave us something new, a 4 track EP; actually it’s a four-song masterpiece. Yes, it’s that good. If you don’t believe me then simply give the tracks a listen, they’re on your left as RealAudio. I guarantee you’ll be hooked. Actually, I’ll be surprised if you’re not in complete awe after listening to her rendition of “River Man,” performed live during the Nick Drake tribute concert at St. Ann's, Brooklyn, NY.

  • What's the Only Thing Worse Than the End of Time?
    author: Rollingstone.com

    There's a theory that certain musical frequencies affect people emotionally. Katell Keineg has found them. It's damn near impossible to listen to her earthy and ethereal voice without feeling the spirit move you. The Franco-Welsh (she sings in English, but old-world Europe oozes from her throaty croon and gracefully gangly limbs) singer/songwriter's latest effort, the EP What's the Only Thing Worse Than the End of Time?, is a brief testament to her power to permeate. The standouts are a chilling live version of Nick Drake's "River Man" (Keineg is especially powerful onstage) and the celebratory "Beautiful Day," which sounds like a chance meeting between a Sixties-pop melody line and a white girl on a Caribbean island. What's the Only Thing seems to embody both of those worlds, suggesting that Keineg's travels over the past five years, during which she was AWOL from the studio, helped her find a balance between her poetic roots and pop sensibility. If What's the Only Thing is any indication of what is to come from Keineg, prepare to be seriously hooked by her frequencies. ROBIN AIGNER (Sept. 9, 2002)

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