Cate Le Bon – “Mug Museum”

“..I got a grand tour of a vintage music store exploring instruments and Le Bon was my tour guide [on “Mug Museum”]” – Katie Flint

Katie Flint

7
out of 10

Cate Le Bon
Mug Museum
November 12th, 2013
Turnstile

Death-obsessed Cate Le Bon brings an operatic voice that not only Dracula would love in her new album, Mug Museum. Upon listening to this album, I knew absolutely nothing about the Welsh songbird. My first impression, just by looking at her name, I thought I was going to be listening to coquettish French accordions and fluty lyrics. Not only that, the album cover itself looked like something you would find out of Paris in 1965 or so, very chic and almost minimalist. Little did I know that this album was going to bring a darker side out of me.

Hearing the first track, “I Can’t Help You,” I felt transported to Transylvania for a party with her haunting voice and toe tapping beat. Throughout the album, the twangy guitar partnered with her lingering vocals remained constant throughout the tracks, “Are You With Me Now” (which was the first single off of the album) “I Think I Knew” and “Wild”, which maintained a state of contentment with me. However, the pace does pick up with the track, “Sisters” where the beat almost goes double-time. The addition of a keyboard to the guitar and drums almost makes her music move towards a psychadelic phase. Come to think about it, she tries to touch different genres of the sixties from track to track. It transitions out quickly as the next track, “Mirror Me” comes in, making the atmosphere very atmospheric. At the very end of the album, the title track, “Mug Museum” slows everything down almost to a halt, making it very clear to the listener that you are at the end of the album.

In a way, I feel that Le Bon would have fit in perfectly in the 1960s in a modular dress with Twiggy-esque doll makeup, and her music really reflects that. Moving from twee guitar riffs, to fast drums, to psychedelic keyboards and ending on a clear piano accompanied by woodwinds, I got a grand tour of a vintage music store exploring instruments and Le Bon was my tour guide.

– December 5th – Katie Flint

Cate Le Bon – “Are You With Me Now?”

[youtube id=8-Vw49KM6JU]