Loren Kate

"... Loren Kate, a star of the future." - ABC South West WA

When (oh when) will Music SA stop sending me CDs that are almost impossible to criticise or find any fault in...?

I was certainly not expecting my latest assignment to even come close to generating the level of enthusiasm that I felt for Gemini Downs, but I am helpless in the face of the musical evidence: Loren Kate has produced an EP entitled Your Own Little Ocean that (to these ears) sounds practically perfect!

It actually feels slightly redundant of me to be writing a review, since this is one of those happy instances when an artist’s press release pretty much says it all, and says it accurately!

The overall sense of artistic accomplishment and impeccable taste that runs right through this estimable release extends to the packaging concept and the design of the artwork: a gorgeous rainbow/ocean/waves design (with what could be a sleeping baby providing the main focus) that looks to me like an even-more-beautiful variation of the sleeve of Goanna’s Oceania (one of the most criminally-overlooked-and-underrated Oz albums of all time, by the way!) The texture and colour of the recycled paper package of the EP would feel aesthetically appropriate even if it didn’t also resonate with the seriousness of the environmental situation that we all face as responsible inhabitants of Earth…

This connects with an unspoken theme that I detect strongly from the surface of these songs: Loren’s concern for the adequate preservation of our planet, for the sake of the future of her newborn child, as well as the rest of the current generation of young people…However, this music is not moralistic, nor is it narrow in scope or self-righteous in tone; it is universal, enveloping, captivating!

The opening guitar notes of first song 'Fill Your Cup' are just about as warm and resonant as could be, and Loren’s voice is simply gorgeous, floating with authority over the gentle melody and letting the heart-warming sentiment of the lyrics flow like honey, with the cello of Mel Robinson providing the ideal, understated, additional musical touch.

On 'Ukeabye Baby' (hopefully you can guess which slightly-exotic instrument makes an appearance to give the track its title) Loren and Mel’s heavenly harmonies convey the care and concern described in the lyrics, while the jaunty rhythm ensures that the song rises far above the typical slushy ode-to-innocence, becoming instead as beautiful an expression of mother-love as I can imagine…

'Travelled for Miles' has a skip in its step and a delightful uplift in its tune, which when combined with the simple, searching, yet optimistic lyrics, makes for another highly satisfying song, while the title track feels like nothing less than Mother Earth singing to us from the heavens, making everything and everyone seem all right - for 4 minutes, at least! 'Wood and Glue' makes it an easy 5-out-of-5 strike rate for marvellous EP from an exceptional musician who I am most glad to have made the acquaintance of!


- Andrew Vasser, Music SA

Loren Kate's delicate storytelling style... was lapped up by an audience that would stay hooked for the entire night. Her mixture of finger picking and strumming laid the foundation for a set that, while featuring solemn meaningful songs, was delivered with humour and a balanced unguardedness. - Drum Media

Engaging, sensitive and impossible not to fall in love with. - RTRFM (Perth)

"Loren Kate's music is beautifully haunting, soulful and raw.." - Perth Music Wesbite

Loren Kate's debut album, Brand New Shoes, which is due to be launched nationally over the next couple of months is a great milestone for the 24-year-old songwriter.

Recorded in an astonishing 5 days at Soundmine Studio in Leederville with producer Lee Buddle and 7 talented WA musicians, the album has the sound and feel of a highly crafted musical achievement, most likely due to the amount of energy, love and work done in the lead up to recording.

Having been on the road for the good part of 4 years, traveling and touring her music to most corners of Australia, Loren steadily penned the songs of the album along her journey in places such as Fremantle, Broome, Darwin, Adelaide and Byron Bay. The result is a beautifully dynamic, emotionally charged storybook of two or more years’ worth of joy, love, loss, gratitude, family, friends, travel and everything in between.

Opening with the infectiously uplifting track Bird on My Shoulder, Loren weaves a light-hearted thread through the core of the album, with the message, ‘all these things are not as big as they seem’ and a whistling solo that won’t escape your head anytime soon.

The title track, Brand New Shoes with its driving back-beat and exceedingly groovy harmonies (which include the voice of Perth singer-songwriter Freya Hanly) is another song reinforcing the positive vibe, which makes it the perfect precursor to the haunting and beautiful Ode to John, a song Loren wrote about her father, to whom the album is dedicated.

Family is a theme that runs through a handful of Loren’s songs, and the epic Sticks and Stones tells the powerful story of her brother and a past addiction. With some impressive vocal textures and a string arrangement by Lara Norman, the song leads the album into a dramatic climax, which is bound to send shivers down even the most rigid spine.

Soon after this relatively sombre moment, though, comes The Whale Song, which features Damian Smith on ukulele. Possibly one of the catchiest tracks on the album, the song keeps things progressing with an airy, ramblin’ folk feel and a light, but somewhat anthemic chorus. The album goes out on a similar note with the last track, Sing, being a simple yet moving declaration of gratitude to music and life in general, sending it all home with a colourful sea of a-capella vocals and the inevitable smile on the face of whoever is listening to it.
- Charlie Jones