There are very few advantages to being embarrassingly behind on my reviews, and the only one which comes to mind is that when I come to listening to something I have often forgotten where it came from, especially if it is a band I have not previously come across. That is the case with the album from Kate Hinote Trio, as I had no idea where the album had come from but knew I was in love with her voice, the songs, the way the acoustic guitar provided the perfect accompaniment, and the violin which comes in over the top to provide additional melody and depth. So, when I checked out my emails, I laughed to myself when I realised I had been sent this by none other than Matthew Parmenter. We have known each other for more than twenty years, and I have reviewed not only his solo albums but his work with the mighty Discipline where he is lead singer (check out the newly released Terry Brown remix of their classic 1997 album ‘Unfolded Like Staircase’): to my mind they are one of the finest prog bands ever to come out of the States.
The reason Matthew sent this to me is because he is a member of the trio, providing violin, with the line-up completed by singer Kate Hinote (Blueflowers) and acoustic guitarist David Johnson (also in Blueflowers). It is the combination of all three in perfect harmony which makes this such an impressive album. Kate has a wonderful voice which is emotional and contains elements of country yet moves strongly into folk and singer/songwriter, David is often concentrating on riffing the acoustic to provide the perfect accompaniment, while Matthew works between the two, adding an additional musical element, sometimes duetting with the voice, sometimes working almost against it to create an edge and emotional reaction.
For this release Kate brought together songs she had written along with others by friends in the local scene, with Matthew only contributing one. Also, given he is the lead singer and dominant focal force in Discipline it is something of a surprise for him to stick just to violin, and not provide vocals or any other instrument, but it is obvious that the trio have a defined musical approach and have strong views as to how they want to portray themselves. I can imagine the three of them sat on high stools with simple lighting, Kate in the middle, bouncing off each other and working in perfect harmony. This is very much a meeting of three similar minds, and the result is an alt-folk album which is simply beautiful and will surely be viewed as such by all who hear it.
Anyone who enjoys this acoustic style of music really does need to seek this out as it is a delight from beginning to end. It is available both on CD and Bandcamp and is also available to listen to on their website, and I urge everyone to give this a try. Your ears will love you for it.
Rating: 9/10
Links:
https://katehinote.com/
