Peter Katz: First of the Last to Know

[Benjamin A. Vazquez U.E.]

First of the Last to Know

Artist: Peter Katz
Album: First of the Last to Know
Year: 2010
CD#: 48949
Localish?: from Toronto
Canadian? Yes
Best Tracks: #1, #2, #4, #6, #7, #9
Comments Overall: Wonderful. Very "Indie", with some folk influences. Brilliant orchestration. A very rich musical tapestry. Transitions within tracks can be abrupt in places. Mostly slower tracks, but some magnificent exceptions. Excellent overall.

1. Son, 4:26 - Starts slow. Calm. Beautiful. Grows and shrinks in stages. Simple yet beautifully rich throughout. More active interlude about halfway through. Becomes full and powerful towards the end.
2. First of the Last to Know, 5:06 - Moves along nicely. Weak transitions between the various parts of the song. Uplifting overall. Classic "Indie" beat. Stupendous segment beginning around 2:30. Energetic. Uplifting. Beautifully compementary melodies. Trumpets. Finally opens out into something simple and clear. Gradual ending.
3. To See You, 3:38 - Slow, quiet, sad. Magnificently so.
4. Dangerous, 3:18 - Steady rhythym. Very lovely. Slightly energetic and slightly quiet. A good combination in this case.
5. 'Till You Come Home, 4:46 - Slow. Lonley. Heartbreaking. Very rich.
6. Carried Away, 3:53 - Slow, quiet, lovely. Mournful chorus. Picks up slowly midway through. Lovely to the end.
7. The Fence (Matthew Shepard's Song), 5:38 - Begins slow, sad. Rises to mournful chourses. Simple orchestration throughout. Beautiful mournful. You can loose yourself in the piece.
8. Let Me Go, 4:21 - Begins with a heartbeat. A guitar is superimposed. A slow piece. Rises and falls generally. The heartbeat continues for about the first third of the song. It's replaced with drums. Rises slightly before the end.
9. Oliver's Tune, 3:59 - Begins with a violin ditty. Country-esque. Lovely, rich chorus. Violin reappears after first chours.
10. Jackson's Song, 3:21 - Slow, lovely, quiet. Very much a lullaby.

Note: Also posted under Folk.

Website: www.peterkatz.com/
MySpace: www.myspace.com/peterkatz

[Benjamin A. Vazquez U.E.]

I have rules about what kinds of C.D.s I shall review.

One of these rules is that I won't review any C.D. which isn't on CHRW's "new" rack any longer. Another of these rules is that I don't review artists who aren't from London. Both of these rules make sense. After all, the whole point of reviewing these C.D.s is to help bring the attention of Londoners to good local music, and hopefully get them out to concerts.

This review, however, is going to break both of these rules.

Why? Well, because Peter Katz's new C.D. - "First of the Last to Know" - is just plain good. Because it's the kind of music that warms the heart magnificently and brings to mind family dinners in a cramped kitchen, or two lovers sitting in a tire swing. Because the orchestration is spectacular. Because he weaves musical tapestries rich enough that you could fall into them from the top of a cathedral spire and not break through them. Because it contains some of the best sad songs I've heard in a while.

That, and the gent plays in London from time to time. We'll give him that.

- Reviewed by Benjamin A. Vazquez, U.E.