Cate Le Bon
Thu 29 Oct 2009
The Terror of the Man
Ever since St. Vincent checked in with her brilliant debut album Marry Me in 2007 I’ve been on the look out for a female songwriter burning the same desirable flame. Finally I’ve found her; she is Welsh musician Cate Le Bon and her debut album Me Oh My is the first album from a female solo artist to really excite me since St. Vincent grabbed my attention three years ago.
Known already for her role with Neon Neon (she guest appeared on vocals in the song ‘I Lust U’), Cate Le Bon has used her relationship with Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals, Neon Neon) to turn herself into a modern day pop star. Rhys runs a record label (Irony Bored) somewhat dedicated to her brilliance and he has already been rewarded, with Le Bon receiving extensive praise across the world.
An instant attraction to Le Bon’s music comes via her sultry voice, which is dainty and perfectly in sync with her byronic narration. Comparable to the likes of Lissy Trullie and Annie Clark, she sings with a wavy love bird-like mystic and has the unique ability to adjust between high and low frequencies with relative ease. However the real beauty that makes Le Bon’s music stand out is her chiseled instrumental arrangements which contain an unusual aggression, often sounding coarse and abrasive but never becoming overly offensive. They often reach breaking point but never snap, producing the type of tension normally associated with synth based noise music.
Cate Le Bon’s debut album Me Oh My is out now through Irony Bored Records. It can be purchased from Rough Trade’s online shop.
Cate Le Bon- Terror Of The Man: MP3
Posted by Nick Fulton under Wales
