A Fine Mess by Kate Voegele

At first listen, Kate Voegele’s new CD, A Fine Mess is nothing special. She’s another young songstress singing about love and hurt that you don’t really believe she’s lived long enough to be part of. Which is not to say she doesn’t sing well – she’s melodic and a pleasure to listen to, but singers like her are on every screen across the continent, and she does little to rise above the rest of them on this album.

“Inside Out” opens the album to a good start with a sing-along modern rock chick vibe that builds up to an infectious chorus. The song is pleasant to listen to, but the setup seems formulaic and overdone – you’re likely to think you’ve heard this song somewhere before, even if you haven’t.

Only on the fourth track, “Angel,” does any sort of different sound come into the songs, with a much slower beat and more piano sounds to accompany the music. “Playing With My Heart” is also an interesting tune, with softer vocals and a No Doubt-esque rocksteady beat in the background.

“Manhattan From The Sky” (you have heard this song before – it’s been featured on One Tree Hill) is a truly beautiful ballad that has an up-tempo beat to it, so it never takes a dreary turn. It is one of the best tracks on the record that definitely rewards repeated listens.

Another high point comes on the final track, “We The Dreamers,” which is actually a demo, and is unlikely to ever be heard over a radio, but it’s a simple, bare tune that leaves Voegele’s emotions to come through in her soft, honest words, instead of being hidden behind loud guitars and choral arrangements.

Overall, “A Fine Mess” is nothing exceptional, and rarely gives you something to bite your music-listening teeth into, but if we give Voegele a few more years to acquire more worldly confusion and angst, her music could be truly captivating. The album won’t blow you away now, but it makes Kate Voegele one to watch for the future.