Seattle used to be the center of the music scene, or at least the rock scene. Time has marched on, but Seattle is still playing home to many notable artists. Personally, I stump for people like Lisa Prank and Tacocat, but I am now aware of the Seattle-based folk musician Deb Montgomery, who has an EP entitled All the Water dropping on October 13.
When you hear "folk," you may be thinking about some dude or lady in a coffee shop tooling around on an acoustic guitar and whisper-singing some old Guthrie tune (Woody or Arlo, take your pick).
As the titular song from the EP began playing, it's also the song that kicks off the release, I was thinking that Montgomery was going to be working in a similar vein. It was quiet and strummy, which is whatever. I figured people might dig it if they wanted to relax. Maybe they needed to write something and needed background music. You know, like me right now.
Then, the energy picked up, The drums hit, Montgomery's voice rose and became forceful.
Then, the energy picked up. The drums hit, Montgomery's voice rose and became forceful. I realized was All the Water was not what I was expecting it to be. Instead, I now find myself being reminded of a Neko Case or a Natalie Merchant. Remember when idiosyncratic women could have folk rock hits? Montgomery would have fit in great in that era. Perhaps she missed her time. That doesn't mean you should miss her music.
