Monday, July 16, 2012

Naama Kates' Musical Risk-Taking Is Met With Critical Praise


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Naama Kates recently released her debut album, “The Unexamined Life,” which confronts idolized glamour and Hollywood superficiality with a candid yet triumphant determination. Her songs emerge from a war-torn heart with an inspired positive resolution, giving her songs a verbal punch that few songwriters know how to do. Critics everywhere are praising this burgeoning new Los Angeles artist, comparing her meticulous songwriting and powerful live performances to talents such as Fiona Apple, Natalie Merchant and Alanis Morissette.

With lyrics and themes inspired by a British bard and a Greek philosopher, she combines intellect with artistry in perfect balance.  As she reflects on her first year in LA, she captures the loneliness and isolation of anonymity in her provocatively honest, yet hopeful collection of songs.

See what critics are saying about “The Unexamined Life”:

“Naama Kates is as rare as they come... like an old mine cut diamond, brilliantly burning her way through the universe." -Sam Levinson

(Before You Lose It) “.. opens in stark black and white, but gives way to colorful flashbacks and stunningly shot moments of enlightenment, capturing the intricate balance of emotions in the song.“ -Rockwired Media

“Singer-composer-actress Naama Kates’ songs are like minifilms, experiences in sound, word and energy that stop and start again, accelerate and explode and collapse and fall to the floor to catch their breath and reassess.”
-John Payne, LA Weekly

“Naama (Kates) gives a superb performance honing Marilyn Monroe's sultry vulnerability, Grace Kelly's elegance and Marlena Dietrich's intelligence.” -Soho Journal

“...every preconceived notion and judgment you may have would be checked at the door... with one flick of the wrist Naama completely changes the tone from a love ballad to a short, 'angsty' punk song. With every new song, the pleasant 'rug out from underneath you' musical surprises continue...”-Ricky Fitz, Take A Record

“Naama Kates can flat out sing. In today’s world of inflated talent and BS buzz, this is one girl that can carry a beautiful tune on her with no gimmicks, just good old-fashioned, beautiful writing and singing. Lets’ show this girl the love her music deserves and get more people talking about her.” -Loudvine

“What started with a small keyboard that Kates purchased at Guitar Center led to an impressive catalogue of original songs about universal themes, such as loneliness and unrequited love. Written with a soft touch and a slight edge, Kates' take on subject matter that could be dreary is light and hopeful, which is further elevated by her superb arrangements. Count backward from one-to-eight before you lose it.”
- Michael Shinafelt, Chorus & Verse

“Call her the darker side of Angus & Julia Stone, Naama Kates’ intense lyrics, comfortably numb vocals and spontaneous theatricality are curiously fresh. A seemingly intentional low-fi-ness infuses “Before You Lose It,” which climaxes with an abrupt sonic swell that caught us by surprise. Kates’ “Bleeding Heart” has a tongue-in-cheek “fuck you” pop sensibility, while “Tie Me Down” is a pop-jazz tune with unusual voice inflections. Very much an artist uninterested in the tried and true, Kates’ music is not for everyone; you either get it or you don’t.” -Music Connection

“It doesn't take long listening to Naama Kates to realize that she is an artist that is very hard to classify. Kates is anything but predictable. If you like pop, but you want something other than the standard fare you get on giant corporate radio stations, check this album out.” -Examiner

Naama’s lyrics translate to music like thoughts to a diary, exposing all the emotions and fears we experience in new places with unknown surroundings. Emotionally provocative, intellectually stimulating, and beautifully performed, her songs capture the emotions and longings so familiar but so difficult to articulate.

confirmed Naama kates tour dates:
Tuesday, July 17: Pasadena, CA- Old Towne Pub, 9:00 PM
Wednesday, July 18: Carlsbad, CA- The Flying Elephant, 8:00 PM
Thursday, July 26: Los Angeles, CA- First & Hope, 8:00 PM
*More shows are being added

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