| 21st
September, 2005
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"This
album is a very definite statement of intention from
an artist determined to draw a lyrical and musical
line in the sand and say, 'Here I am, this is who
I am right now'."
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JUSTIN
MICHAEL
Artist: Katie Vanderzaag
Album: Fragments of a Wandering Mind
In A Word: Edgy
The title Fragments of a Wandering Mind seems misleading
to me. On the contrary, since hearing Katie Vanderzaag’s
first effort, an EP titled What It’s Like in
2002, a solid first shot, it seems her mind has done the opposite
of fragment.
This album is a
very definite statement of intention from an artist determined
to draw a lyrical and musical line in the sand and say, 'Here
I am, this is who I am right now'. This is not adult contemporary
pop because this is not an adult contemporary person. This
is not the acoustic pop of the debut EP. A journey has been
undertaken in the last three years that has given this album
that wonderful sound of ‘risk’.
From the opening prose “make a note to self; sing another
song; this one’s 'bout me” from Not About
Me, to the cries of “I am alive again; can’t
you see it’s still me” from Alive to
the vulnerable prayers of In Your Hands' “please
take this doubt from me; help me to see; this is my heart,
in your hands”, this album tells a story of growth.
There are questions of place in the track Desperate
and offers of love in Beautiful Girl along with political
the statements of Say. These are not fragments so
much as mature thoughts governed by a social, moral and spiritual
compass being developed in a young artist.
Musically the CD takes you through a series of bends in the
road that make the trip incredibly enjoyable. The jumpy hard
rock of Not About Me, the beautifully chopped up
vocal on In Your Hands and the more than interesting
melodic twist in Next Time will certainly keep your
finger off the skip button.
Once again the songwriting skills of producer Jared Haschek,
known for his work throughout the CCM scene in Australia and
the engineering and production of Gavin Chan (Compliments
Of Gus, Melody Crystal, Adrian Murley) have taken this album
so far beyond the debut EP that it is hard to see the connection
in points except for the punchy earnest vocal that is unique
to KV.
This record feels like a great leap forward for an artist
who will have a lot to offer in years to come. This is independent
Australian music that proves art can be about building something
great with minimal dollars and maximum passion.
(Final note re track 10 - could someone Dutch tell me what
Guzelek means?)
~ www.katievanderzaag.com
Justin
Michael can be heard weekday mornings on Geelong-based radio
station 96.3 Rhema FM - www.rhemafm.org.au.
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