Katy Pfaffl

As She Stands

Katy’s newest effort is an extreme pleasure for the soul and for the ears! I really enjoyed Katy’s previous album, it was well done and contained very good material. But this one is a cut above.

She starts off along the same lines as the previous album, but with an overall more mature sound. The jazziness, not overdone, is still there. Then she takes us into a new direction. The jazziness is removed in favor of a more relaxed mode which is not quite rock, but not quite pop either. A little reminiscent of Tori Amos at times, without being an imitation.

Katy’s voice is, again, simply incredible. I can listen to it for hours on end. This album is pleasing from start to finish, never a dull moment. Never a time when you want to press “stop.” Katy was off to a great start with a very strong first album, and she’s evolved her sound in a new direction which sounds more personal and which is fantastic for the listener.

Of note is her very interesting version of the classic Blackbird. I really liked this one. Better than the other versions I’ve heard.

Steady As She Goes is a song that will remind you of Tori Amos, but essentially because of the way the piano is played. The rest of the song and of the interpretation does not have much in common with Tori. But it’s an interesting mélange, one I hope to hear more of.

Friends, keep an eye on this lady: she’s going to hit the big time and, contrary to most of the others out there who have done so, she won’t be boring.

As I said in my previous review of Katy: “Can’t wait to hear the next album!” Thank you Katy!

Katy Pfaffl

An interesting album. Quite. A mainstream rock sound with nice jazz undertones. A great voice, fabulous songs and sleek production.

Katy’s first effort promises much more to come. Certainly one who distinguishes herself from the rest of the pack.

So Far Away, probably the jazziest song on the album is, quite simply, amazing. Katy’s voice leads the whole piece while the musicians, certainly not inundating the song with overdubs (which would have killed the piece) come up with original arrangements. The piano in particular is almost hallucinating at times, reminiscent of Supertramp.

Overall, nothing is overdone and that is one of the signs of a great album. With a voice like Katy’s it’s hard to go wrong. She could probably make Celine Dion songs sound good.

As a songwriter, she is certainly not wasting anyone’s time. Her songs are among the strongest I’ve heard from recent songwriters. They’re not stuck on formulas and repeating what others have done.

Can’t wait to hear the next album!