Kate Bollinger - “No Other Like You”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 4

Pairs Well With…Ambar Lucid, Summer Heart, Nilüfer Yanya

Kate Bollinger takes a breezy indie rock/pop genre and injects it with subtle, lounge-jazz inflections to give her songs complex, but minimalistic appeal. Chill, mildly psychedelic numbers like “Candy” and “Untitled” are performed with beach-pop bubbling and personal, bedroom pop artistry. Bollinger often sings in a whisper - even in relatively bright moments that nightlight many of her introductory singles and 2019 debut EP I Don’t Wanna Lose Bollinger performs in a cool under-pocket. While soft and precise, there is a lot going on in Bollinger’s music - even just listening to her song’s basslines can be rewarding for groovy, bold fills around her songs’ loose melodies. The Charlottesville-based artist adds just some piano and guitar to round out her sound, accompanying with unattached direction that takes Bollinger out of verse-chorus-verse expectations to something new and interesting. (Kevin McStravick)