On her debut album, "O Seasons O Castles," Katell Keineg largely abandons her Celtic roots for a generic art folk rock which substitutes enigmatic abstractions, glacial harmonic progressions and whispery moaning for the ha... more »rd work of real songwriting and real singing. The album takes its title from an Arthur Rimbaud poem, but instead of Rimbaud's vivid, precise imagery, Keineg offers up vague lyrics. Instead of coming up with clear-cut, memorable melodies, Keineg, who wrote all but one of the 14 songs, is content to slide her voice around common chord changes. Here and there, she gives brief glimpses of what may well be a powerful, rich voice, but for most of the album, she sings at half strength in a breathy mumble perhaps meant to suggest mystery and intimacy. In the end, "O Seasons O Castles" is all smoke and no fire. --Geoffrey Himes« less
On her debut album, "O Seasons O Castles," Katell Keineg largely abandons her Celtic roots for a generic art folk rock which substitutes enigmatic abstractions, glacial harmonic progressions and whispery moaning for the hard work of real songwriting and real singing. The album takes its title from an Arthur Rimbaud poem, but instead of Rimbaud's vivid, precise imagery, Keineg offers up vague lyrics. Instead of coming up with clear-cut, memorable melodies, Keineg, who wrote all but one of the 14 songs, is content to slide her voice around common chord changes. Here and there, she gives brief glimpses of what may well be a powerful, rich voice, but for most of the album, she sings at half strength in a breathy mumble perhaps meant to suggest mystery and intimacy. In the end, "O Seasons O Castles" is all smoke and no fire. --Geoffrey Himes
"This CD is great, and I am no easy critic. Sure, the lyrics may be incredibly vague at points but it's really a well done and beautiful CD. My favorites are Franklin and Gulf of Araby."
Literate Lyrics and an Astounding Voice
A. Reid | NC, USA | 12/20/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you aren't familiar with Katell Keineg, but you like women with amazing voices and incredible song-writing abilities, you should become familiar with Katell Keineg. Helps if you like blues. Helps if you like jazz. Helps if you like strong, smoky voices that can hiss, growl, scream and croon.
Of her three albums, this one remains my favorite, possibly because it blew me away back when it was first released. It still blows me away."
Exquisite grace from a beautiful artist! Ole!
the astral agent | Brooklyn, NY United States | 12/16/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Katell is in a KATegory all her own and TELLS it all with great sincerity, depth, and with something more seriously lacking among her musical peers: a lack of compromise. She's not art-chic because she's cooler than that and she's not a folk singer because she's more sonically mature than that. If you had to force a musical sibling on her, it would probably be close to the MOOD of Belle & Sebastian.She used to swap nights with Jeff Buckley down at Sin-e, both offering up exquisite and FREE shows to lucky New Yorkers. They were signed at the same time and with equal zeal by their respective labels. Katell, being a modern-day Joni Mitchell but with a warm fireplace of a voice that can rise to a full roar, was less in-step with the trends of harder-edged and angrier music of the times. But that's exactly why you'd want to pick up this record, and any of her recordings. She will be like Nina Simone, heard when she is 70, ignored by many but known to be the Geniune Article by those who know what they're hearing without a magazine telling them so."
Better Than The Rest
the astral agent | 09/11/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I rated this album and was recommended singers like Norah JOnes and Dido. Puh-leeeeze. KAtell Keineg is nothing like those singers. For a start, she's actually talented, a brilliant songwriter and an amazing lyricist. Her songs are like wonderful poems or short stories, each one tells a story that is both personal and universal. The language she uses is just mesmerisingly beautiful. I love this album and her second, Jet, and am just sorry she hasn't made any more. I think KK is better than any other female singer/songwriter out there -- even my other faves, Tori Amos, Kate Bush and Joan Osborne pale in comparison. But don't even think of puttingher in the same category as Jones or Dido. Those singers have more in common with Diana Krall than KK."