Kate Davis - “Monster Mash”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…Angie McMahon, Common Holly, Weyes Blood

Kate Davis is leaning more into upbeat indie rock tones judging from the early singles off her upcoming sophomore release Fish Bowl, adding extra oomph to her baseline of emotive, personal songwriting. “Consequences” is the milder of the two, a mid-tempo song that doesn’t wallow, rather subtly builds over each verse before paring back down again. “Monster Mash” on the other hand is breezy and light, a memorable pop track that opens Fish Bowl, yet could serve as a show-closing finale at the same time. Both directions make Fish Bowl an anticipated release and clear growth from her already-great debut Trophy. Bonus: it looks like Fish Bowl is a concept record of some sort following a character named FiBo, another reason to keep tabs on an artist nicely matching ambition with songwriting skills. (Kevin McStravick)

2020 Review: Kate Davis’s 2019 record Trophy is deceptively beautiful, leading in with melancholy alt rock tones to open up as a vulnerable, orchestrated folk-pop album by its end. Tender moments like dream-pop single “rbbts”, a song that builds to a cinematic rock song with some alt country tones, and spare, chamber folk ballad “I Like Myself” are balanced with heavily breezy, driving tracks like opener “Daisy”, allowing for range within a sound that could have just as easily been a minimal, bedroom folk platform, but instead is so much more. Davis is an understated vocalist, following the mood of her music instead of overpowering it.