LOVE IT!!!
author: Jay
I first saw Kathleen LIVE several years ago at Twice Told in Louisville. She was so awesome live. I've since moved from Kentucky to Seattle and was so happy to find this CD on here. It hasn't left my CD Player the past 3 days.. check it out. This gal rocks!~
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This CD is powerful, in the most sensuous of ways
author: Jason Koerner, Louisville Music News
Wow. I don’t understand why all the Sarah’s, Natalie’s, and Alanis’s are not opening for this woman. This CD is powerful, in the most sensuous of ways. The voice of Kathleen Hoye is like silk; yet it has enough power behind it to tow a car.
What I found in “Delilah” was a captivating listening experience, not a CD. I can’t listen to it in my car while driving, because it takes away too much of my attention. I could get a ticket for D.U.I.K.H. (driving under the influence of Kathleen Hoye) if I had Delilah in my CD player cruising down the road.
I hear several influences in the sound, but I cannot put my finger on any one of them and say, “She sounds JUST like (fill in the blank,) and I am thoroughly impressed by this. The music is almost hauntingly familiar to you, yet you cannot place it if your life depended on it. It is too original for that.
The arrangement of the songs is well thought out, and the string accompaniments are superb. Those credits go to Jeffrey Smith. The warm strings layered perfectly on top of an already beautiful piece in “Gratitude” is a good example of his work. In contrast, the very next song (and final tune on the CD) is a piece entitled, “Patricia’s Song” that gets away from the high quality studio techniques. It gets back down to basics and bare minimum roots. Kathleen on acoustic guitar/ vocals, Dave Barrick on snare drum, and Jeffrey Smith on upright bass- it almost sounds like the instrumentation for the Flaming Lips. Bare bones lineup boasting the phrase: “Everybody has a shadow… even you.” It proves to the listeners at the end of the CD that all the studio stuff is helpful and nice, but not necessary to compensate for any lack of talent.
The credit belongs to Hoye, a host of musicians credited on the album, and producer Jeffrey Smith. The end result is a piece that encompasses a number of different musical elements from a wide range of musical backgrounds. All these ideas came together to create a must-have for any music lover.
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Bold. Edgy. Expressive. Often somber and melancholy. Lyrically masterful.
author: Les Reynolds, Indie-music.com
Bold. Edgy. Expressive. Often somber and melancholy. Lyrically masterful. And a gorgeous voice that will make you melt.
Louisville, Kentucky's Kathleen Hoye has a loyal, local following but after releasing her latest project, her fan base should grow exponentially.
Talent? That's not the word for it. And while this time around she surrounded herself with an array of expert musicians, there's no disputing this is Kathleen's labor of love. It is her words and voice that remain in the forefront and rightfully so.
A long time coming, "Delilah" is only six songs in length cradled in the genre of alternative/folk rock. There is a crispness, almost a hard edge to most of her tunes even though there are only shades of anything remotely resembling hard rock.
Most of them are a bit on the slow tempo side, as evidenced by the opening cut "Weight" -- but it works -- in part because her strong voice, someplace between soprano and alto, is also ably supported by a cast of familiar musicians who know her: among them Peter Rhee and Meredith Noel on violin and viola respectively.
"The Poet Underneath" is poignant and easily identifiable to those who have a "poet" or any creativity trapped inside. It is ultimately about courage and letting go, however: "...but soon the beauty of the music in her mind gave her the courage and the strength to finally find the poet underneath."
Kathleen's work in the studio took her through these six tunes as a labor of hope in and of itself as the release was finally finished and dedicated to her mother Patricia, diagnosed with cancer and given a short prognosis. The final tune, titled Patricia's Song" finally lets Kathleen out of the somber box and allows her some joy, at least in the melody. This bouncy folksy tune lets her crystal clear voice shine like a star and she's never sounded better. Just Pure Kathleen. (But we'll save the lyrics.) It's wonderful. This is a talent that's been there a long time. It's time for everyone to notice.
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