Words by: Jack Humphrey

We love discovering a diamond in the rough. An unsigned, independently minded artist with their own artistic vision and style, untethered by the demands of the mainstream music industry and expressive in their feelings and personality. The joy and intrigue of finding those kinds of artists for the first time is one of the things that can make being a music fan so fulfilling. And of course, seeing those artists’ stars rise as they go from being the music industry’s best kept secrets to certifiable household names can be one of the coolest things to watch.

If those are the sorts of things that excite you as a music enthusiast, then, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get in on the ground floor with UK’s Phoebe Katis. This singer-songwriter just made her live debut in the United States at the Bowery Electric in New York this past week — sensitive, self-aware and armed with  a brand new record, she’s got plenty to say. Her third studio album in as many years, the R&B-infused Sweet Reunion is the whole singer-songwriter package: contemplative, thought-provoking, and deliciously pleasing to listen to.

 

After opening with an ethereal sequel to the opening track of Katis’s 2020 record, “Time to Wake Up II,” she falls into a steady groove with the organ-lead “I Am.” Smooth in its delivery and resolute in its message, this cut sees Katis briefly reflecting on her station in life, having “gone through some stuff” but becoming a stronger person because of it. From there, she muses over the possibility that the future still holds for her, leaving the door open for whatever comes her way, whether that be a family, a new career overseas, or anything else in store. Simple yet pensive, “I Am” artfully sets the tone for this record with ease and levity.

Picking up the pace a bit, the John Mayer-esk guitar-driven pop jam “Paris” is a huge high point of Sweet Reunion. “Paris” builds on the album’s ongoing themes of finding peace in uncertainty, living life for the moment, and taking an optimistic view towards the future, all wrapped up in a gorgeously catchy alt-pop vibe. With it’s lush guitar licks and deep, melodic harmonies, Katis delivers sunshine in a bottle with this one, settling the listener into a sense of eager bliss for it’s three minutes of runtime, as she’s clearly just delighted with the chance to experience life and love.

“Never Be a Cool Girl” changes things up a bit with a purely a cappella arrangement, backed by beat boxing and harmonious choral moments. On this tune, Phoebe Katis plaintively owns her free-spirited nature as she propositions a new flame, hoping to find a companion as vivacious and bohemian as herself. Though a tad kitschy, “Never Be a Cool Girl” is cheery and invitational for listeners to follow their own path and reject the social hierarchies of the masses. It’s ground that songwriters have tread on plenty of times over, but Katis’s hopefulness of finding someone like her in her rebelliousness, as well as the unexpected a cappella arrangement, make this cut a total treat to listen to.

The album’s title track brings back the groovy instrumentation and catchy adult-contemporary/alternative feeling, packed as always with tastefully ear-catching surprises. “Sweet Reunion’s” lead instrument is a saxophone and a flute playing the same notes in tandem, riffing along with Katis as she delivers the sing-along-ready hook. At a Phoebe Katis concert, “Sweet Reunion” would likely be the moment of the show where the band gets to let loose and freestyle a bit; lyrically sparse as it is and rife with fun instrumental fills, this celebratory cut is a musical standout more than anything.

The smooth, string-laden instrumental interlude “This Above All” sets the tone for the remainder of the record, blending gorgeously into the emotional centerpiece of Sweet Reunion; Katis’s sultry take on a ’90s-style R&B ballad, “It Takes Two.” With a convictive delivery and a novel concept, this slow-burning track sees the singer-songwriter in the throes of heartbreak — facing up to the fact that she can’t just blame her former lover for the way she feels, but herself for falling in love this hard. Along with “It Takes Two,” the last several tunes on the album continue to explore a more tender side, stripped of the breezy carefree attitude that tracks like “Paris” and “I Am” were all about. “Songbird” takes a more folksy approach to songwriting as a third-person narrative about a young bird finding its way in the world, pummeled by adversity yet ever-relentless. “Hope We’re Happier” tearfully wishes a former lover the best while the penultimate ballad “Something” earnestly wonders if they still look back on what they shared.

Sweet Reunion closes out with the mid-tempo “How Far We Come.” This cut is a solid closer, as it cleverly unions the album’s two distinct themes of challenging the future while wistfully looking back on days gone by.

All around, Sweet Reunion delivers on the best qualities an adult-contemporary singer-songwriter record have to offer. Phoebe Katis is honest and clever in her reminiscences, as well as her outlook on herself and the world. The record is overtly positive in the best ways, balanced with a little bit of self-deprecation that may very well make you see a bit of yourself in Katis. At heart, Sweet Reunion is a songwriter’s diary and a celebration of life packaged together with delightful R&B/pop arrangements; a fitting introduction to many to the mind of Phoebe Katis.

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