Music
Press
"A timeless joy, and just in time to turn 2013 sideways, Cat Cosmai's debut album, THE LINE, produced and co-written by the criminally neglected Frank Schiazza, is the modern soul album you've been waiting for. With a voice reminiscent of Amy Winehouse and a tough attitude redolent of her borough Staten Island (same as Suzanne Real; is something going on there?), THE LINE is a sweet surprise.
Cat Cosmai is a sexy, tough singer, with an ache on the lower register that is money in the bank on "Birds Fly," suggesting a pain even when she is pretty damn cheerful. It is essential R&B flavor with a spike of melancholia which pushes you deep inside the songs. From the chappy sensuality of "Cross That Line" to the personal best modified reggae beat "Waiting For Me', (an inspired rewrite of Billy Joel's "Keeping The Faith"), the album is like a jukebox and every song makes you want to sing along.
The question is whether to sing along and dance all over your blues or sing along and sing all over your blues, and THE LINE is such a songs oriented album, you can do either. The songs get you either way and Cat, who has a vocal range that has her name-checking Mariah Carey (if you don't hear it entirely, try playing Carey's greatest hits and see what I mean) hammers it home.
Carey went hip hop of course, but Cat is old school; the funky "You Don't Have To Worry About Me" is too keyboard-based (you can hear it tinkling on the breaks) to be 2012 based and the solo is glorious synth-cheese that looks back to the 80’s but is aware of the modern. She seems to be looking forward and backwards at the same time, and Cat's attack on this song is a thing of beauty. It is a highlight on an album full of them.
The band is least modern in its complete lack of samples or PC hijinks; there is a sense of real people not programmers making real, deeply felt music. It is handcrafted and all the better for it. I have known Cat's partner, Frank Schiazza, for years and have reviewed some of his other work, and that deep-in-the-bones craftsmanship, the pride in producing music that he loves, gives the entire album a sense of identity that has you rooting for it and him.
However, rooting will only get you so far. The album can be a too breathless rush of songs, with the exception of the Carole King inspired "Line in the Sand," a full blown ballad and "Letter To Lilly," as close to a mistake as she gets, you can't catch your breath. Another complaint, and this is axiomatic with R&B though Amy tweaked it hard, the lyrics are too generic. You expect such a sophisticated funk sound to break down a door or two.
Still, the rush of dance and R&B is constant. It is energetic, sophisticated, and falls out of time. THE LINE crosses and re-crosses the 21st Century divide while never losing its footing. It is R&B as it should be: an impressive and exciting end to the year.
Grade: A-" - Rock NYC Live & Recorded
"A timeless joy, and just in time to turn 2013 sideways, Cat Cosmai's debut album, THE LINE, produced and co-written by the criminally neglected Frank Schiazza, is the modern soul album you've been waiting for. With a voice reminiscent of Amy Winehouse and a tough attitude redolent of her borough Staten Island (same as Suzanne Real; is something going on there?), THE LINE is a sweet surprise.
Cat Cosmai is a sexy, tough singer, with an ache on the lower register that is money in the bank on "Birds Fly," suggesting a pain even when she is pretty damn cheerful. It is essential R&B flavor with a spike of melancholia which pushes you deep inside the songs. From the chappy sensuality of "Cross That Line" to the personal best modified reggae beat "Waiting For Me', (an inspired rewrite of Billy Joel's "Keeping The Faith"), the album is like a jukebox and every song makes you want to sing along.
The question is whether to sing along and dance all over your blues or sing along and sing all over your blues, and THE LINE is such a songs oriented album, you can do either. The songs get you either way and Cat, who has a vocal range that has her name-checking Mariah Carey (if you don't hear it entirely, try playing Carey's greatest hits and see what I mean) hammers it home.
Carey went hip hop of course, but Cat is old school; the funky "You Don't Have To Worry About Me" is too keyboard-based (you can hear it tinkling on the breaks) to be 2012 based and the solo is glorious synth-cheese that looks back to the 80’s but is aware of the modern. She seems to be looking forward and backwards at the same time, and Cat's attack on this song is a thing of beauty. It is a highlight on an album full of them.
The band is least modern in its complete lack of samples or PC hijinks; there is a sense of real people not programmers making real, deeply felt music. It is handcrafted and all the better for it. I have known Cat's partner, Frank Schiazza, for years and have reviewed some of his other work, and that deep-in-the-bones craftsmanship, the pride in producing music that he loves, gives the entire album a sense of identity that has you rooting for it and him.
However, rooting will only get you so far. The album can be a too breathless rush of songs, with the exception of the Carole King inspired "Line in the Sand," a full blown ballad and "Letter To Lilly," as close to a mistake as she gets, you can't catch your breath. Another complaint, and this is axiomatic with R&B though Amy tweaked it hard, the lyrics are too generic. You expect such a sophisticated funk sound to break down a door or two.
Still, the rush of dance and R&B is constant. It is energetic, sophisticated, and falls out of time. THE LINE crosses and re-crosses the 21st Century divide while never losing its footing. It is R&B as it should be: an impressive and exciting end to the year.
Grade: A-" - Rock NYC Live & Recorded
Discography
THE LINE (Full length album)
12/13/2012
Photos
Bio
Cat Cosmai is a Staten Island-based soul and R&B singer, steeped in the grand tradition of the great soul divas of old while adding a modern punch to her own music. Her voice has been hailed for its blend of Bonnie Bramlett’s 70’s blues belting, Mariah Carey’s 90’s soul wailing and Adele’s heart-aching cries of love.
Cosmai, a former model, dancer and Ms. Staten Island runner-up, first started singing in high school, and was selected to sing the National Anthem at the commencement ceremonies for Pace University in 2007. ?Her first band experience came with Breezy Grass in 2008, but Cosmai didn't try her hand at performing solo until she met Frank Schiazza, a veteran songwriter and musician.
Cosmai & Schiazza spent nearly one year writing and recording the tracks for THE LINE, her first album, which was finally released on December 13th, 2012. The reviews for the album were glowing across the board and Cosmai was hailed as one of today's brightest young talents.
Hearing Cat Cosmai’s thin, New York inflected manner of speech, one would never imagine the husk and bravado of her singing. But it’s there in all its glory on THE LINE, front and center on a record that is rich with textured grooves and varying styles. Despite all the big boy sounds around her, it is the grace and power of her voice that reigns supreme.
In that way, Cosmai, a native Staten Islander who favors danceable soul and R&B music and sings it all with gusto, is reminiscent of a young Cyndi Lauper, unabashed in her own squeaky sense of self – all Gotham, no regrets. She is pop, no doubt, but she has no problem paying homage to all the little bits of things that make her who she is.
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