Friday, February 4, 2011

McGivern album good for those who like the status quo

Coming from a family of musicians, Kat McGivern is a self-taught musician whose previous albums include Armor and Alice Lost. Her latest album, Kamikaze Heart, released in November 2010, comes after McGivern’s brief hiatus from music. The latest title track reached the Top 10 on FMQB’s AC Top 40 chart.

By looking at the credits within her latest album, it is clear that McGivern is a talented artist who masters several instruments. Her mature voice is a nice break from today’s teeny-bop pop stars and nasal-y R&B artists, but I wish her lyrics and voice reflected her abilities as an artist and displayed originality. If this album was released ten years ago, I would have fantastically appreciated the girl-power-like lyrics of endless heartbreaks and triumphs. Today, now that I have more experience in the world, the lyrics seem to have been chosen out of a book of clichés. Additionally, before reading McGivern’s biography, it was obvious to me that her influences were The Cranberries, Sarah McLachlan and Dido, as her music sounds like a mix of the three.

Tracks in Kat McGivern’s Kamikaze Heart album include:
  • Kamikaze Heart
  • Dance With The Devil
  • Label Me
  • We're Just Keystrokes
  • Fall To Pieces
  • Decorated
  • Napoleon

Since McGivern has already released two albums, I cannot say that Kamikaze Heart is a good start. However, this album did not make me wonder, “How in the world did this person get a music contract?” (This is a good thing.) McGivern’s bio states she abandoned classical music in college. Having personally studied classical music in college extensively, I believe McGivern could greatly benefit from going back to the basics when it comes to music and lyrics. The greatest musicians are known as such because of their originality and ability to standout. It is obvious that McGivern knows how to standout in terms of appearances, but her musical career could soar if she were willing to have a voice (sound) of her own with lyrics that touched more than just her own heart.

This product was a free giveaway I received from LA Famous. All the views expressed are mine.




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