The new record from Kendra Amalie, Intuition, drops on Beyond Beyond is Beyond on Friday and it's a pleasant surprise in a week loaded with new releases. The album veers from psychedelia to prog rock with ease, Amalie's fiery playing the star of the show here.
"Become the Light" is like some odd mix of Kendra Smith and Frank Zappa, Kendra Amalie's guitar playing here being nothing short of extraordinary, while "Breathe Underwater" is a bit trippier, shades of Stereolab peeking through the edges here as Kendra's guitar stakes out entirely unique territory. Elsewhere, "Patternmaker" is light and folk-y, like something from Led Zeppelin III, while "Improvisation for Mark Hollis" sounds very little like the late Hollis's Talk Talk, even as it honors his spirit as a musician by taking some real chances here. The other players here on Intuition -- Victoria Robison (drums), Sam Cook (bass), Taralie Peterson (cello), Al Moss (pedal steel), Peter McLaughlin (drums), and Jayve Montgomery (oboe) -- deserve praise too, yes, but Kendra Amalie is the center of this record, and her vocals and guitar-work are bold, and the playing takes the best kind of risks.
More details on Kendra Amalie via the official Facebook page, or via the official website.
[Photo: Sue Beauchamp]