4/5 Subba Cultcha

Katy Carr returns with her third independent release Coquette; enchanting and powerful, it’s her most complete and compelling work to date
Inspired by themes and stories from Britain, France, Germany and Poland in the 1940s, comes the third musing from London singer/ songwriter Katy Carr.  Coquette was recorded in a bedroom studio in Muswell Hill, North London with producer Nick Crofts; it follows on from her previous independent releases of Screwing Lies (2001) and Passion Play (2003) as arguably her most complete and compelling work to date.
Ranging from the playful and seductive ‘Erotic Days’ to the tender and haunting sounds of ‘Sparkle’, It would be difficult to purely pigeon hole Coquette as a folk album; It’s music steeped in history. Taking influence from the grand dames of frontline entertainment and Hollywood such as Gracie Fields, Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers her music also flirts with jazz and more classical influences. She sings of love and fears at a time where hope was all one could cling on to. Her music speaks volumes and is filled with beautiful narrative. ‘White Cliffs’, which takes from the Vera Lynn classic ‘We’ll Meet Again‘ is a harrowing tale of a saddened female contemplating suicide at the death of her pilot husband; similarly, in ‘Kommander’s Car’ she writes of four men attempting to escape the Auschwitz. It’s a wonderfully crafted piece that draws you in.
Far more than the enchanting narrative that runs throughout her album, it’s her hypnotic voice that best serves this album. Both delicate and passionate, she has a wonderful ability convey her music’s mood and pace with seamless ease. Coquette is a wonderful assortment of playful and emotive tracks that dazzle from start to finish.