Katie Burden
Strange Moon
(Cautionary Tail)

Katie Burden’s Strange Moon is full of atmosphere and drive. At times she mines Kate Bush (actually, lots of times), other times she gets intense, torch-song-chanteuse-like. Opening with the metallic slicing, certainly Kate Bush-like vocalizing of “Don’t Ask,” Burton manages a good driving build here with an infectious chorus, drums, and piano. “I Can See It Clear” is a more straight-ahead offering, a stark verse production under Katie’s singing in her lower range. It’s a very good tune indeed. “Ears” has those warbly vocals again, background droplet hits, and little girl-like la-la’s. The title track with its wispy, high, single key-note behind the back-and-forth tom hits and slow, nearly imperceptible lyrics undulate probably the best of all these kinds of slinky, trying-hard-to-be-weird songs. The beat is sly and there is a witchy brilliance to Burton’s singing/chanting here. The ending is pretty much as we’d expect – the brew gets twisty and Burton wails a bit, but it’s all done very well. “Too Good for Love” has some nice single-note guitar bending work and features Burton probably at her sexiest. She really ooh’s well, drawing you in, but it’s that expressive guitar that makes this one. “Coffee” ends the collection with Burton again singing tight-lipped and gurgling, with some effective dripping electric guitar behind her. Things pick up and swirl, Burton opens things up with her limited wail and once again we are tripping on her soundscape.