Bursting at the seams with a vast array of gorgeous organic guitar, piano and percussive tones yet ultimately held together by the voice of its creative force, Caterina J’s new record Reborn is anything and everything but an ordinary extended play. In five freeing tracks that allude to sensuality and introspections that cross the boundaries normally set by major labels, Caterina J doesn’t have any problem telling us whatever happens to be on her mind in songs like the lead single “Sin Igual,” “Blazing Stars” and “Rollercoaster.”
WEBSITE: https://caterinajmusic.com/
She seems intent on bringing some gusto back to the vocal-driven pop model but steers clear of adopting outright throwbacks to a vintage era (which is something that immediately distinguishes her technique from that of her closest competitors in the American underground). Internationally-inspired and schooled by the ever-growing fabric of a pop movement untethered to any archaic scene politics, Reborn rocks us gently only to unleash a flurry of powerful poetic statements – all of which seem to feed into a single theme within the record. Meticulousness aside, this is a melodic treasure chest, and you needn’t give it much more than a lone spin to recognize this.
Whether you’re bilingual or not, there’s no stopping the flow of emotionality that comes from the broken continuity between “Sin Igual” and a track like “Brave.” While they’re carved out of entirely different linguistic concepts, there’s a similarity to their unfolding passion that makes them perfect tracklist neighbors in the grander scheme of things. The texture of the instruments in “Rollercoaster,” the title track and “Blazing Stars” undeniably complements the fragile style of Caterina J’s vocal more than anything else possibly could have, but never is there an occasion on which this texture becomes overly muscular beside our singer’s signature melody. Both the record and the music video for “Sin Igual” are produced with an ear for minimalism, and though all of this could be reworked for the right venue, I think Caterina J is making the right move in keeping her sound somewhat mild. She definitely manages this material well, and in a live performance I can see her being even more provocative than she is inside of a recording studio’s constrictive walls.
2021 is already off to a great start thanks to the output of a wildly exciting independent pop beat this winter, and if there’s one extended play you should go out of your way to listen to before the season is over, it is definitely Caterina J’s Reborn. Reborn is, in many ways, just a template for what one should expect to see out of this young woman’s stage show, but given the circumstances we’re all collectively experiencing as a global society in 2021, I suppose the tracklist here will have to suffice. It’s robustly produced and layered as to keep the listener on the edge of their seat from start to finish, and among all of the new indie works I’ve heard this month, it’s by far the most likeable after a few repeat listens.
Troy Johnston