by Eric Bennett (@seething_coast)
Like many children raised inside strict religion, Katy Kirby rebelled against the structure. While singing in her church choir, Kirby gained an insight into the purposeful simplicity of the music, and on her debut album, flips this sort of easy-listening on its head. That’s not to say the songs making up Cool Dry Place are experimental works. No, these songs are in their own way straightforward, catchy indie-pop songs—they’re just made with their approachability as an afterthought. The tracks making up her debut are equal parts emotionally compelling and recklessly fun. They never latch on to one mode of songwriting, shifting from balladry to jangle-pop in an instant. It’s one of the most dynamic records of the year so far.
Cool Dry Place is home to many memorable hooks. On its sweet, sweeping title track, the refrain of “will you keep me / keep me in a cool dry place?” is prime to stay with you, leaving you to sing along with it strolling around in your mind. On the single “Juniper” Kirby shows off not only her songwriting abilities but also her guitar skills. The track builds into a fun, catchy, shredding jam, and after the subtle lo-fi tendencies of “Eyelids,” the preceding song, this comes as a pleasant surprise. It’s a masterclass in what twee-pop should be in 2021.
Perhaps the most explicit instance of Kirby referencing the music her parents raised her on is “Secret Language.” A swaying pop ballad, the track interpolates Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and features Kirby frequently repeating phrases as though imitating a prerecorded sample. Christian music is rife with songs about our relationships with God, but “Secret Language” takes this and makes it more about the interpersonal. The concept works for any love one wishes to describe. The finest and most singular moment on the record is its lead single “Traffic!” Kirby sings of dealing with a partner caught up in their own issues and uses its chorus to repeat that “Nobody has it better than you.” Full of backup vocals that call to mind a choir, the song features Kirby’s vocals slightly affected to sound robotic and vaguely slippery. Using auto-tune on it only adds to its fluid motion, putting an extra delightful production choice into a track already rife with them.
Cool Dry Place is the ideal debut. Upon just one listen, we have a sense of who Kirby is as an artist, and lets her define her sound. The type of indie rock she’s offering is intertwined with the sensibilities of pop and always fills the listener with radiant joy. I’m not one to gravitate towards positivity in art, particularly when things are grim. I tend to lean into the darkness in things, but Cool Dry Place is the rare exception that will rip you out of a foul mood.