Melbourne/Naarm drummer and song writer Kat Greta released her latest EP Rhythm and Reverie this week.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of parental death and grief.
You may remember we went to see Kat live a little while ago so we were lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the lovely tracks that make up her latest release.
The 4 track EP opens with recent single Shoot Me Lover. This soulful pop track with its funky vibes is the perfect energy to open the record. It’s a lot of fun and gives a great glispe into Kat’s drumming background as the percussion really sets the tone of the track, creating a backbone for the melody to build around.
From here the EP gradually mellows as it moves through the songs. The second track Set You Up is where the percussion is really showcased. It’s used creatively to change the direction of the song, with a drum heavy intro leading you into the track, followed by softer maracas driven verses and a move to chromatic percussion lightly dancing you through the bridge.
The hypnotic backing vocals also emphasise the importance of rhythm to this release and they act as an almost additional instrumental part contributing to the momentum of this song. It’s the most complex track on Rhythm and Reverie and I’d love to see Kat Greta explore this direction further in the future.
Season to Believe is where the EP starts to mellow out. It’s probably my least favourite but only because I feel as a stand-alone track it doesn’t have quite the same distinct sound as the earlier two. Having said that, it absolutely needs to be here to build a bridge from the early upbeat songs to the final ballad without it feeling jarring. The gradual move towards a more stripped back, vocal focused song as it heads into the last minute of the track is actually masterful for this and I feel this could have gone even further to fully draw you in for what’s to come.
The EP ends with Are You Calling a poignant tribute to Kat’s dad whom she lost recently. This piano heavy, folk inspired ballad gently draws this release to an end. The notes of hope in this beautifully sad closing number really do encapsulate the complexities of grief. I’m not sure of Kat’s personal circumstances with this track but it spoke to me about the poignancy of long goodbye and of losing a loved one by degrees.
I’m so pleased that Kat was able to still put Rhythm & Reverie out into the world. I love the journey from the fun, full pop star energy opening number to the deeply personal ending. I feel it gave us a glimpse into who Kat Greta is and has hopefully set the stage for a longer release at some point in the future.
Listen to Rhythm and Reverie here.
Find out more about Kat Greta here.