Another album to include in the "10 you could have on the desert island"
I went to the cd release show for Kristen Ward's new cd last night. I suppose I could die happily now.
She switches the band around a little bit over the years, creating some really good variations on a familiar sound. Where some of her songs really work with some tasteful slide guitar, Ty Bailey on that B3 really knows how to replace it and fill the gaps as an alternate. He knows how to play off Gary's guitar and nobody steps on anyone else, but adds to the song with subtleties that you may not notice, but you'd miss them if they weren't there. Like so many other bands in town, hers is a recognizeable mix of the "who's who" in Seattle - the vetrans that have been doing it way back during the limelight of grunge, or quietly being overlooked during that time only to come out and show us what we were missing while everyone was hypnotized by Cobain.
The Hat made rounds upon all heads spontaneously throughout songs - Started on Gary Westlake's head but made it to anyone else's head who was doing a solo, the exchange all going on without missing a beat.
Kristen's voice just gets better each time out, and it started out as spectacular, so it's even more of a treat to hear it live. She may have THE prettiest smile in Seattle/northwest/midwest/east coast/usa/europe/the world/the galaxy....
*fans self*
But otherwise, she's got a band of musicians that *really* are musicians. Not just guys who can play instruments. Huge difference there, if you're musical at all. HUGE. A lot of bands just have guys who can play instruments. This is a crowd of musicians.
And so I'm going to the PO box to pick up the new cd, which is probably in there. And to wonder how she'll ever outdo her last one, "Drive Away". Some of the new songs she played last night suggest the new cd, "Charles" might just do that.
If you're looking for new music, look up Kristen's cd Drive Away as a starting point. One of these days the rest of the world is going to hear about her, and then it's gonna get good. Even if she will then be filling arenas instead of clubs, and have "The Machine" surrounding her, and all of that.
Until then, you people outside of Seattle, (or in the city but haven't caught onto her yet) are missing out. A lot.
She switches the band around a little bit over the years, creating some really good variations on a familiar sound. Where some of her songs really work with some tasteful slide guitar, Ty Bailey on that B3 really knows how to replace it and fill the gaps as an alternate. He knows how to play off Gary's guitar and nobody steps on anyone else, but adds to the song with subtleties that you may not notice, but you'd miss them if they weren't there. Like so many other bands in town, hers is a recognizeable mix of the "who's who" in Seattle - the vetrans that have been doing it way back during the limelight of grunge, or quietly being overlooked during that time only to come out and show us what we were missing while everyone was hypnotized by Cobain.
The Hat made rounds upon all heads spontaneously throughout songs - Started on Gary Westlake's head but made it to anyone else's head who was doing a solo, the exchange all going on without missing a beat.
Kristen's voice just gets better each time out, and it started out as spectacular, so it's even more of a treat to hear it live. She may have THE prettiest smile in Seattle/northwest/midwest/east coast/usa/europe/the world/the galaxy....
*fans self*
But otherwise, she's got a band of musicians that *really* are musicians. Not just guys who can play instruments. Huge difference there, if you're musical at all. HUGE. A lot of bands just have guys who can play instruments. This is a crowd of musicians.
And so I'm going to the PO box to pick up the new cd, which is probably in there. And to wonder how she'll ever outdo her last one, "Drive Away". Some of the new songs she played last night suggest the new cd, "Charles" might just do that.
If you're looking for new music, look up Kristen's cd Drive Away as a starting point. One of these days the rest of the world is going to hear about her, and then it's gonna get good. Even if she will then be filling arenas instead of clubs, and have "The Machine" surrounding her, and all of that.
Until then, you people outside of Seattle, (or in the city but haven't caught onto her yet) are missing out. A lot.