Katy J Pearson – ‘Someday, Now’ album review: a lesson in artistic development
THE SKINNY: From the second Katy J Pearson released ‘Those Goodbyes’, it was clear that things were different this time around. All of her releases so far have been beautiful and incredibly polished. 2020s Return established her ethereal yet anthemic sound, while 2022’s Sounds Of The Morning was already a mature beyond her years folk offering that made good on all that early hype. Someday, Now could have been more of the same stunningly sung folk storytelling, and no one would have complained, but instead, this new era launched like a masterclass in artistic development.
It’s clear that Pearson was ready for something new. There’s a sense that she didn’t want to just pick up a guitar and write songs in the way she had been. Instead, she wanted to do something different and decidedly more purposeful. That was even reflected in the process as she told Far Out, “Everything overall just felt a lot more organised”. Adding, “I think I had a lot more confidence in my choices, and it all felt a lot more thought through rather than rushed”. In that way, the decision to step into bigger, bolder sounds with a more thorough production style and more varied palette of textures was treated like a leap of faith but one she had total trust in.
That trust possibly comes from the fact that, at their core, these songs are still Pearson’s songs. She’s not trying to totally rip up and reinvent her artistic identity. ‘Siren Song’ especially feels like a perfect example of this. If it was stripped back to its simplest form, the track is exactly the kind of poetically written, deeply folk-informed storytelling song that not only colours her other albums but that she mastered on her redo of The Wicker Man soundtrack. It’s written in her own artistic language. But it’s when the instrumental nest is added that the song becomes something altogether more intricate, interesting and elevated. It’s Katy J Pearson but better, bolder and no doubt rising to bigger things.
When keeping hold of her artistic core and still letting her stunning vocals lead the way, that becomes a through path that allows all the different colours and sounds on this album to feel cohesive. As she holds tight to who she is, it allows her experimentations into the world of indie-pop, country-twanged rock and even darker, grungier sounds to still feel organic and contextualised. Nothing about this levelling up feels forced or odd, instead it feels like Pearson has merely had the courage, encouragement and the right people around her to take her vision and perfectly, cinematically translate it.
It’s a release that people can and should learn from. Pearson proves that development is possible without total reinvention or abandoning what made an artist special in the first place. It’s possible to keep that safe and precious undercurrent but still gather towards a storm.
For fans of: Fun retro-pop parties directed by the dastardly mystic Ari Aster.
A concluding comment from Sergeant Howie: “Christ no! Paganisms leading pop branch is levelling up. We’re doomed”.
Someday, Now Track by track:
Release date: 20th September 2024 | Producer: Nathan Jenkins | Label: Heavenly Recordings
‘Those Goodbyes’: As the first track Pearson revealed for this new era, ‘Those Goodbyes’ somehow sounds even better today than it did back in May. Maintaining the vocal and lyrical power her work has always had, it’s the elevated instrumentation and production that makes this something special. [4.5/5]
‘Save Me’: There’s something about this song that feels somehow reminiscent of a Kylie song, with a foundational pop beat being beautifully contrasted with Pearson’s folkish vocal twang. It feels like it shouldn’t work, but the result is a gorgeously unique track reminiscent of Cate Le Bon’s brand of indie-pop. [4/5]
‘It’s Mine Now’: The production of this record from start to finish is incredible. Nathan Jenkins, aka Bullion, just gets it, using the stunning quality of Pearson melt into the melt like an instrument as it’s met with strings for one of the album’s standout moments. [4.5/5]
‘Maybe’: A masterclass in elevation, ‘Maybe’ keeps in everything that made Katy J Pearson special when she first emerged and gives it a bigger, bolder and more cinematic world to live in. [4.5/5]
‘Grand Final’: There are so many exciting new textures and sounds on this record from Pearson. Here, things get glitchy and grungy with some darker guitar tones that give way to a big sing-along chorus custom-made for some great live shows to come. [4/5]
‘Long Range Driver’: With every new track, something new is revealed as Pearson steps between different scenes and vibes, allowing her voice and lyricism to act as the unifying through path. On ‘Long Range Driver’, the folkish tendencies transform into all-out country cowboy vibes. [4/5]
‘Constant’: A slow build made out of synths and voices until the band eventually come in. If the album has a weak spot, this might be it, but even still, it’s gorgeous, especially when the sax and harmonies join her. [3.5/5]
‘Someday’: It’s nice that even on an album purposefully more produced and elevated, there are moments of calm where it’s easy to picture Pearson in her creative core, writing songs with an instrument. The introduction of ‘Someday’ provides that as it somehow feels like a look into her musical mind. [3.5/5]
‘Siren Song’: Off the back of making a redone soundtrack for The Wicker Man, ‘Siren Song’ feels like it’s carried some of that energy forward. The lyrics feel like a pure folk song with their storytelling and hypnotic energy. But as the instrumentation builds, it’s perhaps the cinematic streak of the soundtrack work that’s stayed with her. [4.5/5]
‘Sky’: A gorgeous end to a gorgeous album. Once again, Pearson delivers a lesson in how to keep what makes an artist special safe while still developing. [4.5/5]
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.