Combining gospel, folk and spoken word, Kara’s debut release is a diverse, yet persistently personal affair. Having founded indie label Orphan No More with her husband Joshua Luke Smith, she has at her disposal the perfect platform to share her honest and heartfelt songwriting. When not making music Kara is a certified counsellor, a fact that is reflected in her lyrics. She has the rare gift of finding just the right words to both perfectly sum up how you feel, and to say exactly what you need to hear. Whether sharing a positive message of self-worth in ‘I Like The Way’, or simply assuring you that you have the strength to weather the storm in the haunting spoken word of ‘Keeping On’, Kara always delivers a sincere and arresting performance. The soothing soul of ‘Walk Slow’ stands as her most powerful performance, it’s simple yet stunning arrangement and Kara’s vocals are simply captivating. Sometimes we all need someone to tell us that our troubles will pass and that happiness is just around the corner, and to that end Kara Ann Marie’s music is always there for whoever should need it.
Kara’s debut EP Keeping On is out now for fans of Joshua Luke Smith, Julien Baker and Johnnyswim
Torgeir Waldemar – No Offending Borders
One of my greatest loves in the world of music is the storytelling at work in a well executed concept album. Considering that these days the EP is the format of choice for up-and-coming artists, it strikes me as odd that more of them don’t work towards a bigger picture in the same way. With his debut release this Australian troubadour has delivered a rare and exceptional example of a concept EP. Over the course of four tracks of wistful folk, Musketeer shares the story of a 19th century convict shipped off to Australia to work away his sentence. With the title track of the Seven Long Years EP, he perfectly captures the mood and creates a tale of lovers so cruelly parted that sounds like it could have been sung for generations. With the gentle orchestral swell of ‘Hollow’ and the mournful brass of ‘Johnny Red’ we are given a sense of the prisoner’s fading hopes of returning to his old life, and a growing acceptance of the world he knew being gone forever. A compelling tale, exquisitely executed, that leaves me longing for more.
Patch & The Giant – All That We Had, We Stole
Johnnyswim – Georgica Pond
The Flaming Lips – Oczy Mlody
Belwood Music 