Katrin the Thrill - Evil Eye Charm review

Year : 2012
Genre : Psychedelic, Dark Soft Rock, Soft Rock
Label : Independent
Origin : Greece
Official site : > - here - <

Despite a resilient, young body and the spiritual experience of 1 000 000 years - give or take - contained in it, Greece's Katrin the Thrill is an established presence of entertainment in her home country, while she and her former (?) associates were as close to making a record deal as it is humanly possible on a land Circe reigns at with a soul intact. Not surprisingly : Katrin the Thrill is a highly talented sonic/vocal consortium who radiates a darkened variant of Grace Slick + a tint of Sheryl Crow on top of musical themes and thought-fields that make early Nina Hagen and anytime-Peter Steele content individuals. The aforementioned lamentations are covering about the third of the disc. The major part of it has massive psychedelic leanings. Did you notice the infinite amount of invisible white rabbits on the cover art yet? No? Look harder! Never seen someone who has fully disappeared. Read on to know more about the much anticipated Evil Eye Charm LP.

The music is gentle, uncompromisingly dark in its initial fascinations, yet it manages to be a darkness that invites rather than oppresses and intimidates, as the demeanor exhibits no negativistic tendencies, and submits instead to the ethos of the playfully and funnily - yet darkly - mysterious. The compositions are straightforward, thoughtful audio constructs with no cluelesness present in them at all on how to progress through the clever harmonic passages in a way that keeps both the thrills and Katrin's voice intact - not as if she'd be in any danger in the process, as your protagonist has considerable talent AND a much welcomed confidence in her apt abilities to exercise it. She is particularly skilled in delivering properly in her mixed voice register with fluent, flexible strength, and the tender rendition of her feelings always keep dignity intact, while skillfully refraining from the institute of the everyday average effect crave which is ultra-super-mega-giga common in female singing, while its absence almost always seems to be the trademark sing of a special performer. Everyone is special, just like everyone else! Katrin though, especially - if it is a legal move at all - as she has a Grace Slick vibe going on, I swear to you! If you don't know who Grace Slick is, then I don't know what to tell you. Reboot.

As noted, the songs are elegant, simplistic, BUT quite thoughtful - emphasis on thoughtful - compositions, and they are doing an efficient job at courting the mere timber of Katrin's voice with eloquent sonic shapes of an intimate environment, though the name of the game really is the presence of the voice herein. Upon giving multiple full spins to the content flow herein, there was but one minor caveat that has rented a spot in my thought-field for a while, and this is an impression that the album leans towards an almost (?) psychedelic demeanor at its midpoint, and maintains said disposition all the way towards the climax, which, of course, is not a problem at all, but there were moments by which I wished Katrin would release the Animal instead.

She does not do that on this release, and frankly, there is no mandatory need for it, either - I'm just fascinated by aggressive females. The fact that the LP does not seek to intimidate, is highly acceptable. Still, I can't help but wish to hear Katrin singing in some badass, mean style like Free Dominguez sings in the song "S + M".

Other than that, the release is a strong and solid declaration full of elegance and properly bare emotions, and could be a safe and thrilling selection to subject your receptors into a female singing voice packing both power and playfulness. I remain curious of the evolutionary trajectory of this artist, and hope to hear her at full capacity later on, as she isn't set out to explore her extremes on the album - but this particular LP does not even need that, and reigns as a successful and recommendable statement as it is.

Check out Katrin the Thrill's Evil Eye Charm LP here.

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