The New Yorker celebrates her queerness with brilliant singer/songwriter pop.
When her new album was almost finished, Katy Kirby noticed that she had mainly written queer love songs: an aha moment on her own behalf, so to speak. After her highly acclaimed debut album COOL DRY PLACE from 2021, the Nashville-born, now New York-based singer/songwriter continued to compose seamlessly, refined the instrumentation, and tried out different genres.
The title track “Blue Raspberry” was the first new song: In it, Kirby lives out her connection to country music, country far away from masculine highway patriotism, instead gentle, crystal clear, maximally minimalist – and a clearly lesbian/queer love song, as well “Hand To Hand,” which is supported by restrained percussion, and the ballad “Salt Crystal,” which is accompanied by strings.
Despite the predominantly quiet tones and reduced arrangements, BLUE RASPBERRY is a statement album that celebrates freedom in every respect. In the last track “Table”, Kirby leaves the songwriter framework and lets the track explode into grungy noise rock. The stylistic twist represents the content, because in “Table” Kirby addresses her strict evangelical upbringing, with which her queer outing naturally does not conform. At times Kirby still sounds a bit surprised by his own courage, but he takes some courageous steps forward.