© 2011 kate borkowski, All Rights Reserved.
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Listeners will clearly admire the superb solo a capella singing of Kate's track "Boys That Park." And again in stark contrast, piano and percussion join Kate in the standout "Company Man." Listen for the harmony vocal part that perfectly joins Kate's lead in this album standout. Producers further turn up the reverb in "The First Nickel" which serves to deepen Kate's evocaltive delivery of the lyrical passages alongside crisp acoustic guitar and rhythm parts. We especially admire the contrasting vocal harmony to Kate's stunning lead.
Crisp acoustic guitar and percussion provide the foundation for the gorgeous ballad "Paris" (with emphasis on the French pronunciation of the title). While the album perspires with Tori Amos influences, Kate's own vibe continues to develop with her signature backing harmonies and the tracks' percussive textures.
The album concludes with its stunning piano-and guitar-laced title track. Kate's powerful vocal delivery against the electric guitar works well without any additional layering, although backing harmonies add a stunning texture to the final result. Listen for the singer's soaring backing parts in the song's powerful crescendo. The producers and artists contributing to this project have done an oustanding job. We expect Kate's new full length album to draw significant interest from female vocals enthusiasts worldwide. Incredible! * * * * *
BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS, as reviewed by Russ Elliot, Musical Discoveries
Kate Borkowski's forthcoming 12-track 54-minute long album is a collection of Tori Amos-inspired and -influenced material. However, listeners will clearly hear Kate's own vibe unfold as the album develops, specifically in the singing, songwriting and arrangements. The project was recorded and engineered at Garey Shelton Productions in Seattle. Yet Kate drew on Tori Amos and Paul Simon artists to achieve the desired result. Although the polished result is complete at this stage, no release date has been set.
Additional recording and mixing was done by Marcel van Limbeek (Tori Amos). Kate teamed up with Marcel in early 2010 and the dynamic and creative twosome spent most of the year recording additional vocals, cello, and Bosendorfer piano parts between London and Martian Engineering in Cornwall, England. And other Tori Amos artists contributed to the project: Mac Aladdin, John Philip Shenale and Rosemary Banks.
Further contributors to the project were: Ben Smith (Heart); Keith Lowe (Fiona Apple); and Garey Shelton (Tingstad and Rumbel). Beautiful Little Fools was mastered by the legendary Greg Calbi (Paul Simon) at Sterling Sound in New York and is currently being shopped around with release planned before the end of 2011.
In the first single from the album, "Siamroot" (which is an anagram of Amos' name) [Borkowski examines] the cyclical nature of a volatile relationship and an almost Absinthian retreat from life into the landscape of Amos' songs. Borkowski dedicates "Siamroot" to Amos, a stunning effort in its own right, and no small gift to offer the very woman who has proven so inspiring. A certain album standout, we especially liked the track's robust guitar work and the huge tempo change halfway.
The twelve-track album continues with "Lot's Shoulder," an extremely gentle and bluesy guitar-laden ballad. Here Kate's now characteristic vocal work finds itself amidst some almost-country style arrangements. The arrangements contrast in "The Finest Diner," a downtempo and heartfelt ballad, but this time accompanied by piano. Emotion pours from Kate's soul in the vocal delivery.
The thicker instrumental arrangements in "Whore of an Oracle" are balanced by Kate's lead vocal delivery while her powerful vocals provides additional texture to the arrangement. The rock-textured electric guitar contributes great diversity to the album's overall sound. The sound of the more accessible "Ice Cream and Snickers" combines rhythmic bass, electric guitar with a rock arrangement that backs Kate's again-powerful vocal delivery. Vocal production on "Volcano's Daughter" is incredible. Layers of Kate's vocals perfectly back her voice alongside the rhythmic and lightly rocking guitar-laced arrangement.
