Strange Medicine

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)