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Kate Maki
On High
(Ow Om)
First Appeared in The Music Box, February 2008, Volume 15, #2
Written by John Metzger
Tue February 12, 2008, 09:15 AM CST
Kate Maki’s On High assumes a commanding presence, not because it is
forceful, but rather because it is so subtle. Its contents largely straddle the
line between country and folk, though there also are plenty of jazz and blues
motifs that drift across their surface. Many songwriters, these days, offer a
similar combination of styles, but it is immediately apparent that there is
something special about Maki. She delivers her material so delicately that it
seems as if, like a dream, it all might evaporate as the morning sun comes
streaming through the windowpane. Yet, the emotional fallout that lurks in her
heart and mind casts a gray-hued pallor over the proceedings that is inescapable
and unshakable.
For several years now, Maki has been receiving accolades in her Canadian
homeland, and while On High is her third outing overall, it also serves
as her introduction to the American marketplace. Boosting her chances of being
heard amidst the din of the crowded indie-folk scene, Maki enlisted the help of
Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb, who not only produced the set but also provided an
assortment of instrumentation to shape the mood of her material. He brings a
subtle, unobtrusive touch to Maki’s songs by framing her poetic ruminations and
engaging melodies with music that shifts from country (Highway) to the
blues (White Noise) to a delightfully strange, carnival-esque relocation
of The Carter Family to a Western saloon (To Please). Better still, he
knows just when to leave her be, doing nothing more than turning on the tape
recorder to capture Maki as she accompanies herself with an acoustic guitar on
cuts like Wanted Ads and We Are Gone.
It doesn’t matter in what setting Maki is placed. She sings her songs in an
ethereal whisper that flutters lightly around the nooks and crannies of On
High’s understated arrangements. Yet, one gets the sense that her voice is
stronger and prettier than she ever allows it to be. At times, it cracks in an
aching, weary sigh, and the result is that Maki sounds utterly lost, as if her
life is hanging by a fragile thread. Maki is so confident as a performer,
though, that it’s easy to tell that she isn’t really in a dire predicament.
Nevertheless, she’s convincing enough that it’s clear that she has lived through
the emotions that lurk within her heartbroken laments.
On future efforts, Maki may continue to improve upon and refine her style.
Or, she simply may slip away as so many indie artists have a tendency to do.
Either way, On High not only makes the case that she deserves her brief
moment to shine, but it also provides an indication that, regardless of the size
of her following, she’ll be pining away in the Canadian woods for a good, long
while.  ½
On High is available from
Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2008 The Music Box
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