Cate Le Bon: "Me Oh My" (album review)

Cate Le Bon has an intriguing backstory.  The Welsh singer shelved her first attempt at a debut album.  Following that she spent time in Neon Neon's touring band.  That experience gave her enough confidence to return to the studio to give a full length debut another shot.  The result is the forthcoming record Me Oh My (out May 4th).

It's easy to see why Le Bon has drawn so many comparisons to Nico.  Vocally she shares the same timbre and deadpan delivery as the late German chanteuse.  Add a Velvet Underground art rock vibe on many songs like "Digging Song" and the title track and the comparison becomes almost irresistible.

Delving deeper into the music will demonstrate though, that Le Bon is far more eclectic than Nico ever was.  The musical styles on Me Oh My flow easily from mellow and trippy ("Sad Sad Feet") to '90s alt rock ("Hollow Trees House Hounds") to cacophonous white noise ("Burn Until the End").

The diverse styles and influences can create a chasm between the vocals and the arrangements.  On several occasions it feels as though two completely separate songs are being performed simultaneously.  The results are incredibly distracting for the listener.

In those instances when the words and music converge, good things happen.  For example, the simple keyboard accompaniment on "Terror of The Man" makes for a nearly magical song.

One thing is for certain though, there are precious few artists today who are making music like that of Cate Le Bon.

Best tracks: "Digging Song", "Terror of The Man"

Track listing for Me Oh My:

• Me Oh My
• Sad Sad Feet
• Shoeing the Bones
• Hollow Trees House Hounds
• It's Not the End
• Terror of The Man
• Eyes So Bright
• Digging Song
• Burn Until the End
• Out To Sea

6.5/10

Cate Le Bon's website
Cate Le Bon's Myspace