Search - Kate Mcdonnell :: Next

A treat for the ears!

05/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kate McDonnell sounds a bit like a modern Joan Baez to me. This is a delightful album that fits comfortably into a music collection with the likes of Patty Griffin, Joni Mitchell, Dar Williams, or Beth Orton. Tangerine Shirt is a good example of her style if you are looking to try out a sample. My husband is partial to Baltimore but honestly it's not my favorite song by her. However I love both of her CDs and I recommend the both!"

Buy it!!

millrunner | Boston | 06/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kate McDonnell is the undergroud goddess of fok-rock. She is a modern Joan Baez. This is just such a great CD to listen to. You've got to listen to a couple of tunes. That's all it should take."

Clean & Clear

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 05/18/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After loving "Don't Get Me Started" and Kate's blockbuster new CD "Where the Mangoes Are," it's enlightening to review this release from 1998. Kate's vocals are expressive and closely related to her singing inspiration, Joan Baez. "If I Knew" opens the disc; it's a good track that highlights how expressive of a vocalist Kate is. "Baltimore" boasts an excellent melody in the Baez tradition with song's protagonist hopping a rail to leave it all behind. "Our Love" is another beautiful tune with David Eure's fiddle giving a bittersweet feel. On "Looking Down for Looking Up," Kate's hard acoustic strum challenges the listener & creates a disquieting mood as Kate holds a long note as if trying to break out, "Now here comes hard core Johnny, he's looking rather sly, At 12 years old, well he makes the young girls cry; He's got his hands down in his pockets & he's got the devil in his eye; Well, he looks like Marlon Brando with some Elvis on the side." Kate's "Enola Gay" is an acoustic ballad about a female bully that settles for the life of a grocery checkout clerk. "Secret" is another beautiful melody, "I thought that must be how it feels to bury deep the secrets that you hold from them & me." "Dog's Odyssey" is a lighthearted toe tapper that showcases Kate's love of K-9's. "Don't Fix My Faucet" highlights Kate's great sense of humor, "Don't wash my windows; I like 'em dirty ... Cause when everything's clean & clear, I don't see nothin'." The CD concludes with "Time & Time Again," a slow folk tune that touts triumph over challenge. Like much of Joan Baez's work, Kate McDonnell's songs seem timeless, creating their own space based on deeply shared emotions. "Next" was mostly recorded live in the studio and shows that spark of live performance. Enjoy!"