Bearkat Review of 'The Happy' EP: OUT NOW

                                 ‘A Feisty, Feisty Piece of Little Heaven’

                                                        By Holly Roach

For some reason I have managed to hide under a rock over Bearkat’s The Happy EP birth into the world which does not make for a Happy Holly…Not till now that is…I may be 2 months behind the times but hey I’m fashionably late me.
I have to say that downloading and listening to the EP for the first time at 3:30 in the morning, strangely awake, wrapped up in a duvet cocoon with headphones on and eyes peacefully closed makes for an excellent introduction. Not that we were all completely strangers you must understand though. Thanks to the powers of youtube some of the songs I had already had the pleasure of hearing and indeed seeing from videos of the lady herself performing live on tour with her travelling band of merry men (minus the tights…I think…) aka Paul Starling on guitar and vocals, Kent Arnold on drums and Nick Sweet returning from Bearkat’s last album tour on trombone and other brassy goodness (though it has to be said they all do seem to know how to turn their hand to any needed instrument.)

With my review of Bearkat’s last, and début cd ‘Suitcase Swimmers’ 2 years ago I think I made it pretty well clear I love the ladies lilt so what of the distance of years? Well plainly put- Their is none.
The Happy is indeed an altogether briefer affair than its predecessor but stop right there if you think that makes for anything bad (other than in an Oliver ‘Please Bearkat can I have some more’ kind of a way.)
The classic points of delight from any knowledge of Bearkat’s back catalogue remain- The handclaps (Lord do I love a good handclap!), the glockenspiel, the pleasantly sombre lyrics, the ukulele of course, the folk spirit, did I mention the handclaps? A good old bit of tambourine and of course that voice of Miss Katy Pearson’s.

In my humble opinion the highlights of the album, that frankly is all one mass of different hues has to go to the 60’s beauty of ‘Through Loving You’ which after a listen or two I defy you to not sing along to! Also hats off to ‘Girl with the Broken Heart’ from its independent start to its metaly end, and hello do I hear spoons? My granddaddy would be so happy, god rest his soul!

On ‘Sugar and the Sea’ Bearkat also gets a little delightfully manly company from her touring buddy Mister Paul Starling halving the responsibilities of the song and making for a great number. (Note Holly does have a huge soft spot for male/lady vocal mixes in songs.)
I honestly am waiting (and it’s been around 5 years so far) to hear a song from this girl that I don’t like…Wait, well actually no I don’t want to hear such a thing but you get my point I am sure. Everything I have ever heard from her I have been sold on from the start, in a musical Jerry Maguire style. Holly is just patiently waiting for the day I can beam about how amazing ’Marie’ is on an album to you. Seriously. And for those impatient ones amongst you don’t even wait for the album, and indeed its review get watching this youtube video of it live off her last tour. It will rock your heart, if you have one!

http://www.youtube.com/user/merstone20#p/u/7/dSnybvS8nrk

P.S How beautifully lit/shot is that thing hey!  I do love a bit of black and white :)

As a writer, and more so as a lover of writing and words in general as good as the songs sound I always appreciate the poetry of Bearkat’s songs. (Yes I am one of those people who think song lyrics can be poetry. Not you know a Kylie song probably but please try and argue that Lenard Cohen and the such is not poetry to music, go on try it, I will laugh in your face, possibly poke you in the eye and then disown you…probably…) Pearson studied song writing at Berklee College of Music so I‘m sure that helps her out on the lyrical front. A song needs to and should sound good of course but a well thought out quality lyric behind the music packed with a good story to it just makes the whole thing a million times better, and Bearkat is frankly a f*ing rich millionaire in that respect, with very deep pockets still to fill.

The girl could probably frankly sing the phonebook, or heavens even a Madonna song and make them sound good for once. The girl has talent. The girl has style (and not just cause of that lovely dress!). The girl has a great EP in The Happy and has a very happy customer/ fan in me. So do yourself a favour and get those fingers working and head on over to http://www.bearkatbandcamp.com/ to get yourself a copy of the album.

For a measly $10 (roughly £6, any other currency sorry but you’ll have to do your own maths, Holly‘s brain can only do so much you know!) you can download yourself a copy of the cd and indeed listen to all the tracks in their beautiful entirety, you know if you are an untrusting fool who doesn’t believe a word I say or something! If you see the lady herself on tour you can even get your very own physical copy too so you can point and prod at the cutest cover artwork ever.

Track Listings
           1. The Happy
           2. Through Loving You
           3. Sugar and the Sea
           4. The Happy II
           5. Cocaine in All of Our Eyes
           6. Girl With The Broken Heart
           7. The Happy III
           8. Oh Henry

Websites to check out for Bearkat goodness-

Katy Pearson (aka Bearkat)
        - For The Happy- http://www.bearkatbandcamp.com/
        - Blog extravaganza (including fab song covers & delicious Bearkat cookie recipe) -
           http://www.bearkat.blogspot.com/
        - Invade her space- www.myspace.com/bearkatmusic
        - And even get up in her face on Facebook too on the fan page

Mister Paul Starling’s details-
        - http://www.paulstarling.blogspot.com/
        - http://www.paulstarling.bandcamp.com/ (including some swell tracks free to download)

Nick Sweet land-
        - www.myspace.com/nicksprojects  

Note: All photographs from Bearkat’s Facebook page by her friend and 2010 tour photographer Meredith Stone (The video is also from Meredith’s youtube channel).

http://www.meredithstonephotography.com/

The End.

Bearkat Review of New Album OUT NOW

okay so I have missed the deadline of a post a day by 2 minutes but the computer/internet is going as fast as a turtle with no legs tonight so!
but anyway here is the post and folks it's one to wait for.
it's my overdue but finally here review of the debut album 'Suitcase Swimmers' by Bearkat.
enjoy
and if you dont- whatever! you are a fool! :)
take care and good night
and go buy the album already! :)


BEARKAT ‘SUITCASE SWIMMERS’ ALBUM REVIEW 2008


‘STARS AND BIRDS MUDDLED INTO SOUND’

By Holly Roach




My words are not officially an authority in the musical/ review world but in my little world of my head what they say goes!
After reading this review and listening to the music speak for itself I hope you will at least lean on my side of the fence in regards to Bearkat if not full blown back me up.
I cannot actually remember honestly the first time I heard the soft, tender haunting lilt of the now 23 year old American Katy Pearson (now known more fiercely and cuddly as Bearkat) however with the power of myspace inbox memory technology I can reveal, even to myself it was around mid April 2006.
It was a fair few years ago when I received a friend request on myspace (we both now know a fair few years it turns out is 2 and half years-exactly actually the message is dated the 23rd how strange!)
Now I have found on the whole either a band or musician either in a delusional or optimistic attempt to spread the word of their music send such requests out willy nilly to every Tom, Dick and Harry and Holly to result usually in an eye roll after a quick listen from me and a back click of the mouse but occasionally you discover a gem, Katy Pearson was and still is one such gem and a precious, gleaming, lovely voiced little one at that.
At the time and still now she does not sound like anyone else I have heard (though lately I have discovered what could possibly be described as her English equivalent in one of the new mainstream folk stars coming through- Emmy the Great, who I also highly recommend a listen of.)
A big success with Katy’s/Bearkat’s songs I strongly feel from my word loving stand is that the songs are very well crafted lyrically. Her sometimes sad and melancholy subject matters, for instance the death of a mother or infidelities committed by herself, or even being on the run from ‘whiskey sinners who are hunting down are innards and trying to put `em on display’ are sung with such a softness and sweetness to the voice that they really do take on a haunting quality to them that stick in your mind and your heart. Sort of like picking a pretty little flower from the roadside only for it to try and bite your hand off, but it doesn’t actually hurt and no blood is shed…or something….or Bambi, all sweet and lovely but with a horrid tale to tell…or something, you get the jist anyway!

Since my first introduction to Miss Pearson she has come a long way and not just by name. In the 2 and a half years since we first said hello through the world wide web of technology she has had many songs up free to download from her myspace page and has constantly gigged it up in her homeland of America at open mics and music nights, recorded this here CD I am reviewing ‘Suitcase Swimmers’ and is in the middle of an extensive DIY maiden tour for the album across the lucky lands of America for ears to hear and hands to clap appreciatively to.
The album was recorded with the help of a few musically inclined friends and particularly co musician Kyle Butz with his enthralling banjo talents to name but one of his musical tendencies.

And what of the CD? Well it’s a steal at only $12 plus shipping it has to be said.
Its physical form fits perfectly with Bearkat as a whole- low key with nothing unnecessary nor wasted with a beautiful cover by Sarah McNeil and additional illustrations by Katy herself adorning the back and the disc itself, the packaging even hints at the friendly, loving nature of the band with it being made from card rather than harsh plastic, it could be a cost issue but shhh I believe its for the huggyness of their nature!
As for the sound itself, well the choice of instruments to accompany the words Katy effortlessly sings are obviously greatly important and they help score the points for Bearkat’s bullseye. Choosing the likes of ukuleles, hazoos, banjos, toy pianos and hand claps, oh yes hand claps to give the feel of modern alternative folk music and just a bunch of musically inclined buddies just getting it on together, through song that is.
In Hollys view hand claps pretty much equal greatness and they definitely do not disappoint in the hands, literally of Bearkat and friends.

The choice of songs that actually ‘make the grade’ is always interesting when there is a bigger back catalogue of 10 choices to chose from and I confess there was a slight sadness to my day not to read the words ‘Paper Bird’ or ‘Nobody Knows’ and especially ‘1 2 3 The End of Me’ one of Katy’s most enthralling and haunting pieces for me but due to the kindness of myspace downloads of the past I will forgive especially seeing as pretty much every song that has made it to the finished thing is a hit and here on the CD, polished up and with company from their first solo embodiments the songs do nothing but get better.

From the opening hand claps of ‘Call the Doctor’ to the closing pleas of life and not wanting to die in ‘Whiskey Sinners’ ‘Suitcase Swimmers’ is an exceptional début album from a musical force that cannot fail to go far if there is anything right with the world I tell thee! And I am not the only one to think so, looking at her friends on mspace and facebook the love for Bearkat is clear to all and it is due to great music and great lyrics and a great lady with equally talented friends in Mister Butz (check out his song ‘Woe’ on his myspace page to know how much he rules) and co. (the trumpety goods of Nick Sweet are accompanying them on tour currently and sporting a very cute little bearhat at that)

With comments from lucky, lucky, LUCKY folks in the right country the talent is real and ever clear in live right there and then form of the sometimes intimate and unique gigs they have been doing, including backyards and apartments as venues.
Bearkat is a musical force still only early on but with the talent and heart to go far with nothing but love and hand claps to help them on their way that will see them succeed for sure, if I have anything to do with it I tell ya!
It’s only a matter of time folks, not if but when and I truly believe that even at number 1 as multi award winning record stars they would still be the same old little Bearkats and here’s to finding out if I’m right and how well Holly can predict the future!….And with the little lady only 23 (with Kyle a fresh faced young `un of 21) I can only guess/ hope they have many years ahead to rock out the music world and take it by storm, quietly and politely with Bearhats and hugs and knitted treasures and a sweet sounding song with a banjo or 2.

Musically I am challenged to put it nicely when it comes to playing the noisy things myself so for that reason I cannot gage the technical greatness or badness of Bearkats sounds other than as a listener of music, that I can do and like to do and do a lot and from that stand point Bearkat barley hit’s a bum note.
I can fully appreciate that it won’t be to everyone’s taste, opera fanatics for instance or die hard heavy metalers are pretty much shit out of luck but if you like the sound of ukuleles and banjos with or without the folk label they have been dogged with and if you appreciate a well written well composed soft but strong haunting lady voice with an occasional splash of manliness to back her decibels up then you have come to the right album and right band and quite frankly you are the kind of person I want to hang out with so get the margaritas in and hey lets go to a gig buddy!

Highlights of the album are hard to pin down, as I start to list the good songs I find myself just re-listing the album in a slightly different order! But MAKING myself make choices (this is like Sophie’s Choice or something people!) I’d point you in the directions of tracks 8, 10 and 7- Summertime, Whiskey Sinners and Her, Her, Her respectively. But I would also say while your at it, in the same town and all of Beartkatville you Suitcase Swimmer you why not get full out wet instead of just dipping your toe in and listen to the whole shebang of folkish indish full blown musicalness of the entire album and it certainly won‘t be time wasted.
It’ll rock your socks.
And that’s a promise*

The verdict: in the words of Bearkat its self “Electrify your bones and DO plug in”

The CD is available to get your grubby little mitts on through Bearkats myspace page, paying via paypal, or I’m sure if you go see them out on their tour they will have copies with them for you to posses right there and then you impatient thing you! J

*not a guarantee, if you are musically incapable of knowing a good thing then you won’t like it you nincompoop*

WEBSITES
www.myspace.com/bearkatmusic
http://www.facebook.com/ as a group page
www.sonicbids.com/Bearkat
http://www.bearkattour.blogspot.com/
************
www.last.fm/music/Bootz
www.myspace.com/butzmuse
************
www.myspace.com/nicksprojects

TRACK LISTINGS
1. Call The Doctor
2. Robots and Haircuts
3. Bluebird
4. Alright
5. So Vain
6. Laughing on Your Grave
7. Her, Her, Her
8. Summertime
9. Suitcase Swimmers
10. Whiskey Sinners

ALBUM INFO
Produced by Frank Charlton
Engineered and mixed by Martin Cooke
Additional engineering by Frank Charlton and Kyle Butz
Recorded at Halftone Productions, North Hollywood, CA
http://www.halftoneproductions.com/
and Great Music Studio, Malibu, CA
http://www.greatmusicstudio.com/

That is all.

Over and out.

Bearkats and hand claps to the end.

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