You can almost hear the chorus of emotionally befuddled adolescent girls singing along to and applauding Catie King for knowing exactly how they feel.
With a voice that’s deeper than you’d expect, UNC’s King explores the timeless feelings of self-doubt and pining for love. These all-too-common themes could be the plot line to every tweenager TV show, but at least they’re personal.
The album starts off with its weakest track, “Maybe Tonight,” whose failure is due more to an awkward mix of sounds than to King’s voice. Unoriginal verses lie atop a discordant medley of exotic-sounding instruments that do nothing but cheapen King’s vocals.
The album completely changes direction with its title track, moving away from instrumentally mediocre songs toward foot-tapping sing-alongs. “Catch and Release” showcases King’s low, visceral voice and speaks of being helplessly enthralled with someone who lets you down. It makes King seem vulnerable, but likeable and relatable as a result.
“Fall” is the most engaging track. “Fear woke me up today / It’s making me its prey / And every breath it asks me to obey,” King sings. The somber lyrics offer a different view of King, making her more emotionally versatile than the first track would have you imagine. The words are effectively disheartening, but in a way that makes you sing along.
Although most of the songs cover the same subject matter, you’ll encounter a few keepers if you can just get past the first half of the album and enjoy the music for what it is — young, but sincere.
