Stephanie Catlett: Meet Me In the Dream
Stephanie Catlett
Meet Me In the Dream
(1601478 Records DK)
Iowa-based Singer-Songwriter Stephanie Catlett, reveals her unique take on her new EP Meet Me In the Dream. Warbly, slightly off-center guitars float under Catlettâs talky-vocal on the verses of opener âRuined Houses,â rolling into a laidback beat on the choruses from Brian Cooper. Itâs a sweet atmospheric taste of whatâs to come.
Suzanne Wedekingâs violin informs âForsythia,â with once again a perfectly placed harmony vocal snuck in the jangle of guitar and simple rimshot backbeat. âSo David,â starts on a solid beat, and sees Catlett using her slightly out-of-tune voice to great effect. One of two of my favorites here, the cut of the lyric, is betrayed nicely by the sweetness Catlett maintains throughout this recording. We get a subtle, Mexicali-like blush on âNothing But Fine,â Sam Drellaâs trumpet put to subtle use; this is the second of my faves.
If, for no other reason, the piano leading the push makes the ender here, âAm I Still,â another standout. We get Catlettâs softest vocal so far, and as much Wedeking as Dan Padleyâs guitar making the song shine. Actually, Padley is as noticeable here for me as Catlett, and Iâd be remiss if I didnât mention bassist Dana Telsrow and his substantial, unobtrusive presence too. Surrounding herself with a crackerjack bunch of backing musicians (all I have mentioned above) and working a simple yet effective production, Stephanie Catlett certainly delivers here.