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Album Review

Cate Le Bon
Me Oh My Irony Board Records

Article written by Ged M - Oct 29, 2009

Cate Le Bon: Me Oh My

I’ve seen Cate Le Bon at the odd gig and at festivals for some time but she’s always been a bit of a secret cult, best known for her sidekick work with Neon Neon and wonderfully strange tracks that crept out on MP3 like ‘Mas Mas’. Now her first album is released on Gruff Rhys’ new label and it’s a stone psych-folk classic. It has two sides: sometimes beautifully simple and affecting folk (‘Out To Sea’), sometimes a nightmare filled with dark and disturbing imagery (‘Terror of the Man’ or ‘Eyes So Bright’, which could be the Welsh Wicker Man soundtrack).

Someone shared with me his theory that Welsh music (other than the Stereophonics) owes a huge debt to mushrooms; I’m not accusing Cate of anything but check out the movie that was shot for the track ‘Hollow Trees, Horse Hounds’ by Casey Raymond and Ewan Jones Morris and judge for yourself: it’s Bunuel meets Oliver Postgate on David Lynch’s front lawn. Whatever the inspiration for the music, it’s one of the best debuts of the year, more that living up to the promise we’ve seen live. The title track is a stand out, a psych-folk psychic battle “I fought the night and the night fought me” but every track will either sway you or scare you. She’s the UK equivalent of Devendra Banhart, minus the hair and the whimsy, and deserves at least the same attention.

Links:
http://www.catelebon.co.uk
www.cooperativemusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/catelebon