Reviews

Cherwell.org - "Something Ilk"  October 8 2004

Tantalizing originality and versatility seems to be the name of Cathy Davey’s game in Something Ilk. And she plays it extremely convincingly, by combining a miscellany of tracks with flair, and an extremely appealing raw edge.

Cathy begins her album by yelling “listen to me!” with catchy choruses and melodies. The opening, thought, is not certainly not representative of the entire album. There are surprises lurking in each track.

The vocals on ‘Sugar’ and ‘Mine For Keeps’ are fragile and dreamlike, delicate yet powerful, and her voice seems to have floated into music as if it has been lost from another world.

The striking talent of Cathy Davey, however, stretches beyond that, and she balances melodic beauty with upbeat, fresh and funky tracks.

The mingling of the two styles collides perfectly, and intentionally, to produce a stunning debut, with an audacious expression of inventive talent.

As the music treads a very fine line between love and hate, the album is full of antitheses - stylistically and musically - and there is something here for everyone. The atmospheric ‘Old Man Rain’ is so experimental in its echoing refrains, its daring percussion, and its selection of sounds, both vocal and instrumental, that it holds the power to transport you instantly to an imaginary downpour.

You will be quite literally drowned in sound. Although many songs are able to alter your feelings, very few have the power to change the weather, but such is the quirky genius of Something Ilk.

The final track on the album, which is something of a musical epic at 58 minutes long, opens with the barely-there, soft whisperings of the words “very few have hit the mark, and fewer still make the radar”.

This maybe true, but Davey’s Something Ilk manages to hit the mark quite effortlessly.

gigwise.com - Bristol, 05/10/04

With one leg extended, her toe daintily poised on the pedal, guitar slung low between classic blue jeans, Cathy Davey croons through thin, tight lips. The first 3 numbers have a uniformly jerky gait to the overdriven guitar and strummed-like-a-guitar bass. It’s blues-rock meets Brit-pop, half a notch down from the pace of Holly Golighty, almost as uniform in theme as in sound: the lyrics, invariably half whined, seem to all involve some form of relationship crisis.

Being new to her I wonder whether they are all part of the same story and hence the similarities are pointed. Almost as soon as this thought pops into my head, the sound shifts slightly, with the onset of 'Holy Moly' and its beautiful vocal hook that sets the neck muscles into an instinctive back and forth motion. When it ends you cry for it to begin again. This is all that was needed it seems, for them to cut loose. Suddenly the keys, previously subdued by the very low guitar, are clear and distinct, and Cathy shows the full capabilities of her vocal range with some piercing punctuations.

Cathy Davey A new song, 'Big Guns', is a departure from the formula so far with a structured stop start intro and a cleanly layered sound. If it had been less loud and more intimate, it would have been brilliantly coy and seductive. Short and sweet, it could have been the number to really connect with the crowd, but the lady from Dublin keeps her distance. Even so, Freud would still have a field day with the lyrics: “Don’t take your big guns away,/ What did I tell you before?” The jumping piano that evokes a children’s ballet scored by the Adams Family creates a tangy backing to folksy acoustic guitar on the catchy jaunt that is 'Cold Man’s Nightmare': expect to hear it on the soundtrack of the next Tim Burton film, I shouldn’t wonder.

The final two numbers see further holidays into variety with drop always, hints of rockabilly and the closer 'Come Over' is all rather 70’s teen sitcom with attitude and added sass. All good stuff, but even though I was right at the front I felt much further away.

u.tv - 'Cathy captivates Katy crowd'

It’s a Monday night and as the 25 year old Dubliner takes to the stage, there’s a crowd of about 50 gathered.

Most are here out of curiosity, eager to see if EMI’s latest signing can live up to the initial hype. No one is quite sure what to expect.

Comprising of guitar, bass, drums and keys, the live unit quickly establishes a manner of proficiency. Many numbers are built around the piano/keyboard, while bass and percussion set the tone anywhere between laid back jazzy stylings to all out rock.

There is no denying however, that Cathy Davey is the focal point. Her vocal ability is quite simply stunning.

You swear you can hear The Cardigans’ Nina Persson in there, although that’s encouraged in no small part by her striking physical resemblance (suffice to say she’s sure to attract much male interest). There’s also a nod to Alison Goldfrapp and hints at numerous others, yet there’s a unique character to her voice that’s set to override mere comparisons.

With her debut ep released only a matter of hours ago, Cathy demonstrates that the vocal gymnastics displayed on title track Come Over are no result of studio trickery, as she reaches places with her voice that most singers can’t even contemplate.

The arrival of backing singers adds to the air of lounge schmooze and a rendition of Kinks' classic Sunny Afternoon maintains the cabaret feel. There’s no doubting the potential to reach the Radio2 audience is massive, however there’s an edge to Miss Davey that should see her avoid the MOR traded by many of Mr Wogan’s current favourites.

Twelve songs are wrapped up in just under an hour - an enthusiastic response even prompting an encore. An assured and convincing performance, with tours in support of Supergrass and Graham Coxon imminent, don’t be surprised if she’s a household name by the end of the year.

Ticketmaster.ie - review

Cathy Davey is a powerful new voice in Irish music.

A spikier alternative to many of the female singer-songwriters in the UK and Ireland at present, Cathy earned her indie credentials working with Elbow and touring with Graham Coxon.

Her debut album Something Ilk shows her as one of Europe's rising music talents.

Hot Press - Oxegen 2004

Hot Press - Oxegen 2004 - June 30 2004

Look out for: a rising star."

Hot Press - "Something Ilk" - August 3 2004

Cathy Davey
Something Ilk
(EMI)
03 Aug 2004

Cathy Davey has already cut quite a presence as the willowy figure during Autamata’s live performance. Now she is on her own, however, the question is: does she have the substance to match the reputation. Or will the weight of expectation weigh her down!

Listening to her debut, it’s easy to see why the gamine Davey caused such frenzied consternation in A&R circles upon her signing to EMI. Not only is her voice elfin, immediate and distinct the songs are also hugely compelling. They are digestible without being lightweight, austere in places without seeming detached. ‘Clean & Neat’ beats with its own distinctive pulse, while ‘Hammerhead’ and ‘Go Make It’ are particularly soft and touching. Like a slightly less cutesy Nina Hynes, or a less visceral PJ Harvey, Davey’s music is unashamedly sexy, almost precocious in places, but still retains a stamp of class. The songwriting is simple and heartfelt, and veers off in different directions without any particular style. Moreover, Cathy is imbued with a wry, clever take on life and love that echoes that of Aimee Mann. Conclusion? She’ll make it!

Something Ilk display the tender shoots of what promises to be a hugely illustrious career. Hype can often be akin to the kiss of death for a new artist, but Davey has the sheer talent and the lust for life to kiss right back.

Watching her promises to be a real pleasure…

Tanya Sweeney
Rating: 8 / 10

Hot Press - Live at The 100 Club, London

31 Aug 2004

Shabby, dark and wonderfully dingy, there are few music venues in the world as undeniably romantic and historic as The 100 Club. Its very name sparks images of generations mesmerised by jazz, entranced by Northern soul, and contemplating revolution as punk exploded within its four walls. With a constant stream of cigar smoke and its décor of red, red, red, its very demeanour cultivates greatness. A special venue; tonight it hosts a special talent.

Cathy Davey is very much a rising star. This may be her first headline show in London but word is certainly out. Her debut single ‘Clean And Neat’ has been a constant on alternative radio stations and her multitude of high-profile support slots have helped to cultivate a growing fan-base. Such is the demand for tickets to the show that the touts are out in force harassing half of Oxford Street for anyone “buying or selling”.

Shortly after ten o’clock, Davey takes the stage to a multitude of camera flashes. As she prepares to launch in to ‘Yak Yak’, she takes a quick look at the crowd before her trademark nerves kick in and her attention turns to the floor. It’s a stark contrast from the confidence in her voice as she belts out ‘Hammerhead’, ‘Swing It’ and ‘Clean And Neat’ to boisterous applause. Half way into the set and she’s in fine fettle, even somewhat shocked at how well the audience response is to material only just released. ‘Coldman’s Nightmare’ is a particular highlight with Davey seductively purring out the line ‘I’m always thinking of you’. It’s her vocal style, transforming from temptress to angelic child, that is most startling. Closer ‘Come Over’ ends the night on a high as Davey rocks out leaving all in no doubt that the 100 Club has hosted another potentially historic night.

Steve Cummins

Entertainment.ie - "Something Ilk"

Dubliner Cathy Davey has one huge thing going for her: she genuinely doesn't sound like anyone else. True, parts of this debut album could be compared to either a rockier Aimee Mann or a less threatening PJ Harvey. Ultimately, however, Davey's haunting songs have a mysteriously oblique quality that's all her very own. And while she may technically come under the singer-songwriter label, her angular guitar sound is far more dynamic and creative than most of the dreary mush that comes from that particular quarter these days. Something Ilk starts with a bang, the first four tracks all revolving around taut basslines and instantly catchy choruses. From there on the songs become slower and less immediate, but ultimately they're just as rewarding. It's impossible to tell where Davey will go after this exceptional beginning - which, of course, only makes her all the more intriguing.

Atomic Duster.com - Come Over EP

Cathy Davey - Come Over EP (Regal)

A wonderful discovery should you have the foresight. Cathy, like those before her, Kate Bush and P J Harvey certainly, but also American singer/song writer Lisa Germano, who sing from a purely female perspective have a lot in common with this dynamite of modern indie-rock. This 4-track EP heralds the release of her Ben Hillier produced album and when she screams in the chorus on the title track, this only adds to wet the appetite.

Growing up in Dublin, Cathy does nothing to hide this fact, none more-so than on the number 'Hammerhead'. I think it would be a commonly held impression, but there's something truly sexy about the Irish accent and when this is used in the context of a song, as is done with unashamed ease here, the dynamite I mentioned earlier comes at you full-force. What more to say, than brilliant, oh and you may already be familiar with this singer from the part she played on Elbow's 'Grace Under Pressure'. 10/10

Nick James

Between Planets - "Something Ilk"

Written by a self-confessed recluse who claims not to listen to much music, Something Ilk is a fantastic debut by any standard. Cathy Davey’s highly distinctive voice is back up by music worthy of comparison to Graham Coxon, Radiohead and Elbow (whose second album she appeared on as a guest vocalist).

The songs sound sweet but have a bite to them and the sound of the album is aided by Blur and Elbow producer Ben Hillier and his collection of antique Soviet recording equipment. There’s plenty more I could say about Davey and her writing and recording methods but there’s no point really, the music does all the talking necessary. Go and listen to it.

seanmccormack.com - September 20 2004

After hearing much hype about this girl I figured I would like to hear her and get some photos (potentially for the wall in Roisin's). I got in for the end of the sound check and met some of the band before heading up to the covers gig I was mixing in the Quays. I soundchecked quickly and made it back in time to catch the support finishing. In a moment of irony she was singing Nothing Compares 2U- her name was Sinead O'Connor-but not that one. Afterwards Cathy and her band took to the stage and I must say that the gig was much better than I expected. I'd not heard any of the material before but really liked it. Cathy is small (I'm pretty short and she's definetly shorter) and quite delicate looking. Between the nearly white peroxide blonde, the slight frame and alabaster skin, she made me think of porcelain. She still manages to play some fairly rocky stuff, not to mention a few lighter numbers. Vocally I was very much reminded of Cherys from Catatonia. I don't remember enough to hum any of the tunes, but I still like it enough to want to hear more. Unfortunately the gig was only about 50 minutes long, but still long for someone on their first album.

Vanguard Online - "Something Ilk"

Like Dido and Goldfrapp, Cathy Davey started out singing on other people's albums (Elbow's 'Grace Under Pressure' being one of 'em) before branching out to do her own thing. What separates this Dublin-born lass from the aforementioned coffee table icons is that Davey harks back to the days when indie shuffled about in its stripey tights and Doc Martens with pride, before it donned a leather jacket and pretended to like AC/DC. 'Something Ilk' may be released on EMI, though the album's heart belongs to 4AD, circa 1990, with Davey's voice carrying strong echoes of the Sunday's Harriett Wheeler and Belly's Tanya Donnelly, with a touch of Bjork's playfulness. Traditional indie, you could say.

Recent singles 'Come Over' and 'Clean & Neat' are pure student disco stompers; sticky melodies with the right amount of lo-fi understanding and whimsy. 'Go Make It' and 'Swing It' lend the album a slight jazz feel, suggesting a possible future direction for Davey. The album's standouts, however, are the more tranquil moments such as the Belle And Sebastian-esque 'About Time' and 'Sugar'; the latter built around an eerie, yet seductive soundscape, perfect for Davey's kittenish voice. An hour in length is stretching it, so a little pruning would have sufficed. That said, there are no bad apples in this cart and, although 'Something Ilk' is not an incredible album, it's not short on potential. Had it been released ten years ago, Davey would have found herself struggling to be heard in, what was then, an over-crowded market. Yet, since hardly anyone bothers with trad indie anymore, it's all the more worthy of investigation in 2004. An album for those who danced down the high street naked and clicked their heels upon hearing news of the Pixies reunion!

Ross Halewood

BBC.co.uk - "Something Ilk"

What do you get if you cross Cerys Matthews with Polly Jean Harvey? Curiously, the answer isn't an awful mix of angst ridden punk indie, but the sweet darkness of Cathy Davey.

Having added her voice to the, well, cast of thousands on Elbow's Cast Of Thousands, Davey is out to make her own mark with the type of idiosyncratic songwriting that is so beloved of those Bury boys.

Something Ilk is poppy, dark, epic and intimate, all at once, which how the names of Cerys and PJ get mentioned. On several occasions, particularly during the barbed Trade Secret, Davey sounds unnervingly similar to Matthews' cracked croon, while her love of the off-kilter lyric and unexpected ferocity places her firmly behind Harvey, though she isn't the most obvious bedfellow musically.

Her songs are sturdy, rather than dazzling, compositions. Cold Man's Nightmare swings and swirls around, Swing It reaches and swoons, Go Make It sparsely picks at blisters, Save Button whispers a scream, but none of them truly sparkle, and it's that quality that is the only thing lacking from Something Ilk. Only the sumptuous About Time comes close to it, but even that falls just short.

Davey is a welcome addition to the raft of singer songwriters currently dragging a guitar around the country. She is one step ahead of them with Something Ilk, the follow up will show whether she can streak ahead or be dragged back into to crowd.

Rating: 7/10
Reviewer: Chris Long

2-4-7 Music - "Something Ilk"

Up to this point twisted Dublin song-bird Cathy Davey has probably seemed most notable for featuring alongside Alfie, Jimi Doves and the extended Garvey clan on the vocal credits for Elbow’s community-minded career highlight ‘Grace Under Pressure’. We shan’t be taking that as a starting point though, no, for we cannot be sure that she does indeed “still believe in love”, the manipulative sweet-voiced fraud. It’s convenient then that from this point forward there shall be plethoric positive points of reference for her name alone. We are however fairly convinced she’s acquainted with the addendum “so fuck you”. This is a bitter sounding album, creeping and suspicious. It’s not constrained by those emotions, but they’re there as an undercurrent for sure, they define it. She’s obsessed by love, it runs as a theme through most of the tracks on the record, but like with Guy Garvey it’s a concept she clashes and toils with.

Heathenangel.co.uk - "Something Ilk"

Hailing from Ireland, Cathy Davey has always done things her own way. Initially shunning the record labels courting her after only 4 gigs, Cathy shut herself away in her room and wrote what has eventually become ‘Something Ilk’. Calling Cathy a singer/songwriter is one of the biggest insults you could give her: “That whole thing is po-faced. It gives me the willies.” And right so, this is no vocal and acoustic guitar album, each song is meticulously crafted and features a full band backing.

The recording of the album was rather unconventional from using near obsolete Russian recording equipment to placing mics in a courtyard and recording with the studio doors open for a “lovely, deep faraway sound”, ‘Something Ilk’ is never quite what you expect. See if you can hear the Scalectrix cars or kitchen blender hidden in the mix.

So with such unusual recording techniques and production (courtesy of Ben Hillier – Blur, Elbow) you could be forgiven for expecting a Kid A type of album – weird noises, no melody, all style with no obvious structure, hard going, etc. While the lyrical content is dark and ‘real’ [“I write bitter, nasty, ballsy songs”], the actual music is light and poppy for the most part giving interesting counterpoints to the words.

‘Trade Secret’ features a choir of kazoo’s within what is essentially an indie rock tune, ‘Yak Yak’ is an acoustic guitar and piano driven number with a jaunty tempo as Cathy laments about someone who talks too much, and ‘Hammerhead’ is a darker and more sinister track played at a slow pace with discordant guitars. Elsewhere, Cathy shows her softer side on ‘Mine For Keeps’ which closes the album and is a wanton ballad full of emotion and longing.

These songs give a good representation of the album as a whole. My pick of the album, however, is ‘Cold Man’s nightmare’ which positively drips with infectious melody, particularly during the chorus. Again, lead by acoustic guitars and piano, Cathy’s voice soars as she emphasises some of the words to add more emotion. Through each song, Cathy’s vocals sound like a smoother Cerys Matthews with a few hints of Kate Bush.

At 14 tracks, ‘Something Ilk’ is a couple of songs too long. The quieter half loses interest in places as some of songs sound a little samey so a 10 or 11 track album would have given a more concise and enjoyable listen. But having said that, ‘Something Ilk’ is still a truly exceptional album. Beautifully written songs full of melody and off kilter ideas; production values which compliment the writing and playing; and Cathy’s honey dripped vocals all add up to an album that stands out from the crowd. Look past the pretty face and see the personality behind. This is something special indeed.

Rating: 8/10
Released: 23rd August 2004

irishmusicmail - review

Dublin girl Cathy Davey signed to EMI/Parlophone in December 2002 after one of the keenest fought dog-fights the industry has seen for many years. She was signed on the basis of her own 8-track demo, recorded in her Monkstown bedroom & on which she played all instruments. Her EP will be released on April 16th with the Ben Hillier (Blur, Elbow) produced album to follow in the coming months. Davey is a major new talent & there’s a buzz amongst the industry already which can prove instrumental in breaking new artist. Cathy is currently on tour supporting Supergrass which will be followed with dates supporting Graham Coxon of Blur. Her band features ex-members of the Verve & Blur. Her first Irish shows have been pencilled in for April/May this year.

RTÉ.ie - "Something Ilk" - August 9 2004

Regal - 2004 - 50 minutes

"For every warm embrace...the taste of getting burned," warns Dublin singer Cathy Davey on her debut. And if ever a lyric should be the sticker on the front of an album that's it, perfectly summing up what's waiting inside.

Songs here like 'Hammerhead' and 'Holy Moly' should only come out after dark, but they share headspace beside the sunny sounds of 'Go Make It' and 'Clean & Neat' with no trouble.

Along with Blur/Elbow producer Ben Hillier, Davey's crafted her songs into a collection that's high on presence and very low on filler. Countless soundtracks should beckon, and hopefully a lot more besides.

Harry Guerin, 3/5

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