Kate Klim - Something Green (2022)

An album that’s about hope, with a brilliantly upbeat light vocal approach by the lovely Kate Klim (vocals/piano) who surrounds herself with chiming guitars, creative percussion & airy melodies. Her independent LP Something Green (Independent-Drops March 4) contains 10 wonderfully composed pieces & the title track is one of the finest.

A potent driving beat, layered instruments add to the distinctive Kate Klim sound. There’s no over-emoting but there’s a Beth Nielsen Chapman/Natalie Merchant quality to her performance. The piano-driven songs can be intense as Vanessa Carlton & the compositions possess singer-songwriter acumen that commercially written tunes lack. Could be the purity that Ms. Klim displays in her vocals.

Songbird,” despite its typical title finds Kate able to draw out drops of sensitivity that make the song far more significant. Her vocals are reminiscent of Chicago-based Sons of the Never Wrong’s female vocalists. Her music embodies scenarios that are personal & though it sounds like she’s still searching for that signature sound to set her apart from others she does have an impeccable way of performing.

“Almost Know Anyone,” breathes with crisp drums, a tasty melody & Kate’s silky vocals. Also gratifying is “Nobody Told You” with producer Andrew Delaney who adds background vocals & Alyssa Cortez’s soothing trumpet. Kate’s intonation & phrasing is close to the late Judee Sill (another pianist) in how she pronounces her words.

During the creation of this work Kate underwent some personal issues & instead of adding loss to her songs, she shapes them effectively into melodies of hope, change, & love. A more optimistic outgrowth.