SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: KATHERINE PRIDDY – THE PENDULUM SWING

KATHERINE PRIDDY
THE PENDULUM SWING
COOKING VINYL

Katherine Priddy made her recording debut in 2018 with an EP (Wolf) that got her a lot of attention and provided her with an opportunity to not only record more but open for some of her biggest influences. The Pendulum Swing is her second full-length album (her debut was released in 2021 The Eternal Rocks Beneath) and since that album she has grown and continues to develop as an astounding songwriter, musician, and singer. Although she is included with the new batch of folk artists, Priddy is a lot more than that.

She opens the album with an oddly stirring instrumental, “The Returning”, complete with the sound of a bar with setting up or packing up. But it certainly sets the stage for what is to come. This fades into “Selah”, a lovely song, beautifully played. It starts with guitar and voice and builds with backward tapes, sparing orchestration and Priddy’s sublime voice. She writes simple yet incredibly moving melodies that are never over arranged. She uses layers of sound perfectly to tap into that emotion. “First House On The Left” is a good example.

And Priddy uses sounds, found sounds, recorded sounds in her music effortlessly. It never sounds like an add on, but rather as part of the song. The phone and voices at the beginning “Always, Always” helps add to the ambience of the song and highlights the lyrics.

Priddy’s lyrics are also quite interesting and brilliant. The album seems to be about the pull of home and the urge to leave. The lyrics to “First House On The Left” say it quite clearly, “And as though caught in some pendulum swing. I try to go but home pulls me back in.” A very painful emotion, and it is something most can identify with. In Priddy’s hands she brings out the melancholy and nostalgia while acknowledging the need to leave and be on her own. In this sense, it seems like a deeply personal album. She is not writing about a character, she is not writing a musical, it seems to come from her and her experiences in the last few years since her career has taken off. The album ends with “The Leaving”, bringing it full circle. It also allows for one to begin the album all over again with “The Returning”.

The Pendulum Swing is a strong album from an artist who continues to dazzle and show off her talent. Priddy is just starting out but she shows maturity, confidence and the ability to tap into the human condition. Although she falls into the folk genre, this sells her short. Yes, her music is based in folk, but her talent cannot be contained in one genre. Much like, say Billy Bragg, Priddy writes from the heart and in doing so invites others into her world. And she writes incredible melodies that are simply beautiful and original.

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