Singer-songwriter finds comfort and meaning in endings while remaining hopeful for the future on an album that shines with hard-earned wisdom.
Kate Waters knows a thing or two about the healing power of music. The Texas-based singer-songwriter is a trained music therapist, and her ability to create meaningful songs using an economy of words, but never of emotions, is clearly evident on her aptly titled sophomore release, Some Comfort. The self-produced album features eleven wonderful songs of emotionally charged songwriting that are rooted in resilience and hope, elevated by some splendid melodies and musicianship.
It’s a sturdy collection of songs written over a twenty-year period that, as Waters notes, traces her “journey through different loves, heartbreaks and hopes”. It certainly speaks to her skill as a songwriter and musician that the songs flow together organically into a cohesive whole. She wastes no time in displaying her talents in the sublime opener, Words, a track that nicely epitomises the sentiment she is trying to convey, namely: the role of music as a means of communicating emotions and feelings. Over a slight mid-tempo groove led by some gently choppy drumming, it’s an inviting opener where Waters’ plaintive singing is nicely complemented by some mournful pedal steel and mandolin. There’s a slight urgency in her voice as she sings: “Oh words, in all of your truth / You box me in just like a mob / And if these walls could talk, sometimes I think they’d do a much better job than me”.
The easygoing Next Right Thing is punctuated by some striking mandolin and fiddle interplay with a lyric that expresses a sense of hope and optimism. The catchy country-blues shuffle of Honey I’m Tired, with its breezy violin, maintains a swaying rhythm that ably matches the emotional push and pull of the lyrics dealing with the endless effort required to make relationships work. As the song concludes, Waters repeats the refrain “keep on” like a mantra in a determined and angsty manner as if to convince herself of this.
On Really Over, a sort of companion piece to the previous number, she ponders where a relationship is heading by questioning if it’s really over, even though it’s clear that she likely already knows the answer. The music here has an edgier bluesy feel to it, including some expressive electric guitar overlapping with some reserved banjo lurking just below the melody. It’s a fine number, a reflective and mature look at relationships that really showcases Waters’ notable vocal range. In fact, the entire album consistently displays her crystalline voice with subtle hints of vulnerability, underscored by some warm, clean production and unforced delivery by her stellar band. Songs that are simply perfect for getting lost in.
The absolutely lovely piano ballad, Consumed, arrives at the album’s midpoint, containing lyrics that expand on the themes of resignation and acceptance when a relationship ends and includes the perfect line “I love and wound at the same time”, which could very well describe the overarching theme of the record. Title track, Some Comfort, swings with the down-home charm of The Band, swirling organ and vibrant guitar adding a country-soul feel to the number, similar to the achingly beautiful Wasting Time where Waters’ remarkably pure vocal soars like an angel as the song heads home. Led by strumming acoustic guitar, banjo and fiddle, and underpinned by some atmospheric electric guitar, Peace On Earth is a gentle folk rocker that reminds us that peace of mind and heart and “making meaning of each day” are cornerstones for making human connections and building relationships. It’s a lofty sentiment and certainly one of the most endearing moments of the album.
The album ends on a hopeful note with the affecting It’s Love, a quiet number that finds Waters evocatively reflecting on the manner by which love manifests itself. Over simple acoustic guitar and weeping pedal steel, she sings of recognising the feeling of love in all its forms: “You’ll know it by its slowness / Its coolness and its warmth at the same time”. Altogether, the album drifts by at a relaxed pace, allowing her voice and the weight of her words to really take hold. Sweet and relaxed, it’s an impressive collection of songs about old and new love; eloquently delivered, without bitterness or regrets, only gratitude for what has transpired and hopefulness for what lies ahead.
