Kater, Kaia / Strange Medicine
Album: Strange Medicine   Collection:A-File
Artist:Kater, Kaia   Added:Aug 2024
Label:Free Dirt Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2024-09-30 Pull Date: 2024-12-02
Week Ending: Nov 3 Oct 27 Oct 20 Oct 13 Oct 6
Airplays: 2 1 3 3 2

Recent Airplay
1. Nov 02, 2024: Hanging in the Boneyard
The Witch
4. Oct 26, 2024: Hanging in the Boneyard
Often As the Autumn
2. Oct 30, 2024: Duck, Duck, Nooch!
The Witch
5. Oct 22, 2024: Traditions
The Witch
3. Oct 29, 2024: Traditions
The Witch
6. Oct 18, 2024: KZSU Time Traveler
The Witch

Album Review
Be Sharp
Reviewed 2024-08-31
ECLECTIC AMERICANA

Kaia Kater is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist (mostly banjo) who grew up in Montreal and studied music in West Virginia. This is her fourth full-length album since her debut EP in 2012; the first since the excellent Grenades of 2018. This is challenging but rewarding listening: songs cover difficult ground from emotional abuse to historical slave rebellion. All songs are by Kater; lyrics are in the insert. RIYL: contemporary Black voices in folk music (like Alison Russell, Valerie June, Joy Oladokun, Rhiannon Giddons, Leyla McCalla) and/or stretch-your-horizons conceptual projects (like Waxahatchee, Anaïs Mitchell, and Hooray for the Riff Raff) (Released May 2024)

FCC clean

1 ** mid-tempo.spooky tale of a woman who might be a witch or just been burned in a relationship. pretty lead vocal by Aoife O’Donovan; nice clarinet, flute (3:25)
2 slow. explores an alienation of creative artist from critics. spare banjo & drum (3:39)
3 ** mid-slow. disturbing glimpse into an angry (maybe failing) mind. odd imagery & metaphors; especially good orchestration (3:29)
4 ** mid-tempo. mixed thoughts about her hometown. terrific music with violin & banjo. Allison Russell is credited but notes don’t say for what - backing vox perhaps (3:33)
5 ** slow. pretty folk song about the evils of the Internet. just simple acoustic guitar to start, then strings and synth folktronica in the second half (3:08)
6 slow. a tale of Fédon's rebellion in 19th C. backing vox by Taj Mahal (3:44)
7 mid-slow. unhappy memories of a past manipulative relationship (3:31)
8 very slow. spooky story of a mysterious occurrence. voice & spare strings (3:43)
9 * slow. wry observations of very different lives intersecting. just voice & banjo (3:11)
10 * very slow. more sad memories of that past unequal relationship (4:25)

Track Listing
1. The Witch   6. Fédon
2. Maker Taker   7. Floodlights
3. Mechanics of the Mind   8. Often As the Autumn
4. In Montreal   9. History in Motion
5. The Internet   10. Tigers