Kate Stapley – Centalla EP (Breakfast Records)
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| Kate Stapley - Centella EP |
The last time I heard the music
of Kate Stapley, she was slaying a cold and huddle audience in London’s
Wilmington Arms with her youthful but superbly created and delivered songs.
That was probably about 7 years ago now and Kate has, I’m glad to say, come
back with a whole lot of life to draw from which is laid out on this new six
track EP, ‘Centella’. The first track, ‘Iceland’, stumbles in to life like a
dishevelled reveller emerging from their temporary sofa bed to pick up the
essentials and emerge blinking in to the morning light. Stapley’s voice is Best
Coast levels of chilled but with a more
haunting edge to it but, quite rightly, it’s given centre stage by a relatively
sparse melody playing underneath despite the array of instrumentation.
There couldn’t be a more English
song title than ‘Potted History of Mum’ but the soft shuffle and Tennis-esque
wooze of the vocals atop the country inspired guitars is far more West Coast as
our heroine sings of the genetics of lip shapes and dessert preferences. Things
kick up a notch on ‘Irises’ as Stapley takes on a Laura Marling meets First Aid
Kit inspired tune with rattling acoustic chords and sublime vocal harmonies
winding through like ivy on a once-grand iron fence. Track 4 is misleadingly
called ‘Interlude’. Misleading because it suggests something inconsequential
when actually the dreamy, psyche-influenced meander is actually quite beautiful
and not to be skipped passed. The early morning/late night vocal croak that
introduces ‘These Planets’ is oh-so-bohemian but the song soon emerges as a
sophisticated and poised piece that speaks more of Anna Calvi and Carly Simon
in its soul.
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| Kate Stapley - hot wheels |
The EP closes out with
‘Stabilisers’ which, I’m guessing, is a live favourite due to the strong
acoustic strum and reassuringly study rhythm that allows the vocals to revel in
the story-telling lyrics without having to worry about too much else. As
Stapley wanders off through the back streets of her adopted Bristol with the
organ chords ringing in her ears, you can’t help but be impressed by the
maturity, craft and care that’s gone in to making these songs. In terms of the
dress sense, it’s all gone a bit Barbara Windsor in her ‘Carry On’ days but it
does make for interesting sleeve art at least. So that’s Kate Stapley, not
rushing, not doing anything because she has to and not following anyone else in
particular. I don’t like using this phrase very much but definitely ‘one to
watch’.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/Katestapleymusic/
Listen Here: https://open.spotify.com/album/7hfKfRhdt69kpZhiEugsev