Album Review
Revolution
by
Katie and the Bad Sign
Debut albums can be tricky beasts; get it wrong and it can derail your whole career trajectory before its ever had the chance to get off the ground. But get it right and it can be the launch pad to propel you onwards and upwards, staking your claim in a crowded scene.
And with the impending release of their first full collection of songs”, Katie and the Bad Sign have undoubtedly got it very right indeed. For “Revolution” is a diamond of an album, polished and refined, but with just the right amount of harder, tougher emotional edges left intact. And in common with one of those much-prized gems, this album is equally multi-faceted, sweeping across a range of styles and genres, each one as accomplished and thrilling as the next, entertaining and engaging whichever particular sphere a particular song inhabits. Describing their approach as Americana, Blues and Rock n Roll, all those things are clear and present across the eleven tracks, however there is so much more here to engage and delight the listener, in an album that is unafraid to be unashamedly true to itself whilst still managing to throw in some surprising and bewitching curveballs. The bedrock of the album may be Blues but don’t be drawn in to thinking this is purely a Blues album, it’s so much more. There are turns towards rock, haunting melancholic ballads and even forays with a country tinge at times. One thing that runs throughout the whole album is the outstanding guitar melodies that intertwine and bounce off Katie’s delectable vocals creating beautiful harmonies and choir like choruses.
Kicking off with a power packed fast paced rocker, “Wolf at the Door” brings with it the first taste of the beautifully soulful raw raspy voice that Katie O’Malley possesses, as well as the first of those curve balls we mentioned. So, who would have thought that the opening track would launch with a distinctly Thin Lizzy-esque riff that immediately cements the band’s rockier credentials, before the propulsive verse kicks in and Katie’s smoky vocal draws the listener into the world of The Bad Sign.
The title track by contrast swings and slithers into your ears and mind, with a delicate chiming guitar motif with an almost CCR feel to it, a gauntlet thrown to challenge the norm, the establishment and just be yourself. And although you may think you can pick out influences, they’re never over-powering, just a subtle nod here, a lick there that pays gentle homage to their icons and heroes.
Like much Americana, many of the songs on Revolution have a distinct sense of time and place; “Taste the Dirt” for example sees the band at their Southern Country best, conjuring up Big Sky, wide-open vistas and red rock canyons, topped off with a gorgeous timelessly elegant solo, whilst “Voodoo” is perfectly structured and hypnotic, with jangling guitars and an atmospheric vocal as we take a walk on the dark side through a shimmering mystic tale of love and enchantment. In keeping with the song title, this is another example of the simmering cauldron of bravura musicianship and passion that epitomises this release, conjuring up songs to enthral and enrapture.
And of course there is “The River”, a true showstopper of a song (and if you want to read a more in-depth look at this song, check out our earlier review), the heart and soul of the album and a delicate, expressive thing of the utmost beauty and sensitivity.
But the element that unites the whole album however, the thing that is the through line regardless of style or song, is Katie’s voice. Rare and expressive, it has the power to bewitch and beguile or deliver a knock-out punch that will leave you reeling.
In a year that has already produced some stunning albums “Revolution” can stand proudly alongside the best of them; it’s an emphatic and dynamic debut that is smooth in all the right places but equally unafraid to get its hands dirty. A fantastic showcase for not just Katie’s (admittedly sensational) voice but for the song-writing chops and musical talents of this exceptional band as a collective, on the basis of this release the future looks very, very bright indeed…
All that’s left to says is Viva La Revolution!!!!
Check them out at https://www.katieandthebadsign.co.uk/ where you can pre-order the album or have a listen on Spotify...