Review: Remember What You Knew Before by Katy Guillen & the Girls

By Tom O’Connor

On their new VizzTone Label Group release, Remember What You Knew Before, Katy Guillen & the Girls show the rest of us what a lot of lucky Midwestern audiences already know; this trio is a fierce and unique brew of pro-level, traditional chops and their own damn thing entirely. Remember What You Knew Before will be out March 2nd.

I always love me a good trio. Always. There is nowhere for a weak player to hide and no way for a good player to mail it in on a song he/she might not be as committed to. These are not issues for Claire Adams’ self-assured bass and Stephanie Williams’ unwavering drums and percussion. In every track of this collection you feel the complete buy-in and lock-on of these three musicians, confident in their abilities and eager to give everything they’ve got to the remarkable and insightful song craft of bandleader, Katy Guillen. There have been the expected comparisons to Sheryl Crow of course, but for my money, I see her songwriting sitting securely in the Venn diagram overlap of “Chrissie Hynde at her quietest” and “Stevie Nicks at her loudest.” Guillen & the Girls spin songs that are emotional hand grenades wrapped in velvet, stealthily slipping past your defenses if you’re smart enough to let them.

The mystical sway of Nicks is evident in hypnotic opener, “Slingshot” and that’s before you even get to the hooting, haunting chorus. As with all good album openers, the tune lets you know what to expect on the tracks to follow: tight Americana rhythms and just enough guitar flash to remind you there is more fire under those sweet harmonies than you might expect. The slow, tasty slide guitar and clip-clop old school blues rhythms of the next track, “The Load” are more on the Hynde side; the vibe of the tender-hearted girl who is tougher than you could imagine, or is it the tough girl who is more tender-hearted than you could imagine?

The harmonies on “Waiting till the Day” are almost unfair. This is a powerful whisper of a song, so mournful and yearning and in no hurry to break your heart, which it will, even before the short, but haunting guitar break. Love and possible obsession continue to be the theme on “Gabriela.” The song takes a dark turn halfway through with just the addition of a low rumbling electric chord. As you listen, you might wonder if Gabriela might be the luckiest girl in the world, or if she might need to get a restraining order.

 
The snaky slide riff that anchors “Humbucker” could hypnotize a cobra. It is a clear-eyed warning to the lover, friend, relation or even boss across the table from you that you’re the only one responsible for you and I won’t be carrying your weight. At just 2:26 it is a song that a lesser band would have, and could have successfully, milked for a good five or six minutes, but if KG and the Girls can kick your ass in just two and a half minutes and call it a day, that’s what they’re going to do. The second punch in this combination comes next in “Can’t Live Here Anymore.” With its  bass-heavy, full-steam-ahead rhythm, some modern guitar tones and light-hearted audio hi jinx, you can feel the entire band leaning hard into this relentless groove. This is the second new song I’ve heard in the past few weeks that has made me think of Liz Phair, and that isn’t a name I ever toss around lightly.  The rock side takes a breather on the next couple of songs. “Stalling on Dreams” is a small jewel of an acoustic-driven highway song, where wistful and regretful meet, shake hands and start to forgive each other, in spite of “an anxious and angry feeling falling over me.” More sweet picking is found on toe-tapper “Biwi,” probably the most Cheryl Crow-y song in the bunch.

You might think you’ve heard all Katy Guillien & the Girls’ strengths by this point, then “Quiver” slips out of your earbuds and into your soul. It is a call to all the sweet lonesome babies of the world, riding on Spanish rhythms and a ghostly chorus of lost loves. This is one tune that the band lets itself stretch out on, exploring the flamenco possibilities in an extended, quiet coda before returning to finish the song. The crisp Americana rhythms and yearning melancholy return on “Funny Place,” a back porch strummer that explores the pain of a love lost in a world that feels colder than it used to.

Going out on the right note is always important and “If You Were Gone” nails it. We hear the traditional foundation in the rhythm, the effortless harmonies, some remarkable guitar work and lyrics reminding us that tenderness is sometimes the bravest act of all, and that opening your heart completely is a feat of superhuman strength. It is also a reminder that those lucky enough to be on the receiving end of such gestures should treat them with the reverence they deserve.

For more information on Remember What You Knew Before by Katy Guillen & the Girls:

Website: http://kgandthegirls.com