Maybe It’s Worth Analyzing

Kate Bollinger “Grey Skies”

Kate Bollinger’s songs have mostly been iterations on a basic concept – the music is a relaxed groove but the lyrics are neurotic and introspective – but to her credit, they all feel distinct in melody and texture. “Grey Skies,” from her new EP, is at the drowsiest and jazziest end of her spectrum. Her vocal melody and cadence in this one reminds me of Erykah Badu at her most mellow, which further exaggerates the gap between her chill vibe and the “who am I, what am I doing, does any of this make sense?” tone of her lyrics. But it’s not necessarily a contradiction: Bollinger excels at giving voice to a very low-key nagging sort of turmoil, the sort that can be buried under just enough self-effacement and repression to not read as anxious on the surface.

Buy it from Bandcamp.