Published on May 30, 2001
Katt Lowe is a singer/songwriter cut from the same mold that
produced groups like The Runaways and The Go-Gos. Like fellow grrl
rockers Liz Phair and Ani DiFranco, Lowe takes the raw nerve
endings of her life and situations around her, putting the sights
and feelings to music.
Her debut album,
Katt Lowe And The Othersyde, suggests that she needs to hone
her talents a little more, but that she is most definitely an
artist to watch.
Teaming up with former Runaways member Cherie Currie (who
produces and contributes some vocals), Lowe comes out of the gates
with both fists flying, emotions literally pouring out of these
songs. Lowe proves early on that she’s learned her lessons from her
mentors well, with songs like “Make It Go Away,” “Selfish” and
“Love Never Dies” being among the strongest cuts on the album.
Lowe’s songwriting touches on heartbreak (“Don’t Need You,”
“Only Hurts A Little”) and sexuality (“U Can Have Me,” “Tonite”) –
though in the latter case Lowe veers dangerously close at times to
Kiss-like portrayals, turning what could have been a shockingly
powerful statement into something almost comical – and that, I
don’t think, was ever her intention.
Where her Achilles’s heel might be is that she still needs to
find a way to take her personal life and ever so slightly
homogenize it so that listeners can pull their own meanings away
from the songs. Tracks like “Please Don’t Lose Yourself” and “Only
Hurts A Little” are raw, unpolished works that feature Lowe pouring
her heart out in her vocals. While Lowe should not be discouraged
from drawing upon reality for her work, she should be encouraged to
try and shape the songs so they go from “my life” songs to songs
that reflect the listeners’ lives. (Having written songs in my day
which fell under the same trap, I can fairly make that statement –
the hard part, though, is learning how to make those minor
“tweaks”.)
Despite these flaws, one can see that Lowe does indeed have a
gift with words and music, and still being young in her craft, it’s
safe to assume that she’ll only continue to get better with time
and experience. (Her friendship with Currie will undoubtedly help
her with her skills as well.) For now,
Katt Lowe And The Othersyde is a decent, if flawed, first
outing for someone who could well be the leader of the next
generation of the grrl movement.