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Hutch and Kathy, splendid e-zine 08/31/02
"Don't judge a book by its cover" was my elementary school librarian's mantra. In the case of Hutch and Kathy's self-titled debut, it's entirely appropriate. The album's black and white cover features (presumably) Hutch and Kathy, sandwiched between a couple of vintage microphones and the windows of a cramped house. With their striped sweaters and greasy hair, they look like the kind of people you'd see floating around the sidewalks of any liberal arts college town; indeed, there are many such people in the duo's home town, Portland, Oregon.
That said, they pull it off. Recorded at said cramped house, Hutch and Kathy, originally intended as the next Urban Legends album, uses the basics of the indie pop canon -- lots of acoustic guitars, brushed drums, and harmonica and organ as needed. Hutch Harris crafts pieces with enough diversity within chord progressions, rhythms and song structures that such a limited palette works to his advantage -- much more detail would probably muddy the simple tunes. Kathy Foster's harmonies sweeten Harris's nasal Northwestern twang, with lyrics that depict everything from the picturesque ocean nights you'd expect an Oregon native to write about to the wrongs of Manifest Destiny.
The album kicks off with the tape recorder scratch of "I Made You a Song", then bursts into the stomping optimism of "In Brilliance". Despite indie-pop's abundance of love songs, lyrics like "I've got a telescope / and with it comes the hope / that I can stare into your sky / until your star burns my eyes," make Hutch a frontrunner for the sensitive-guy-in-a-sweater award, which is already a packed race.
"On the Way to Work" is a rare weak song; its chorus includes the throwaway line, "Lather, rinse, repeat", delivered in a wishy-washy tone that borders on some of the Elephant 6's uglier moments -- but a meandering organ line, which could also have been stolen from the E6, is charming enough to redeem it. Songs like "Through the Day" and "Half There Tears" build a melancholic mood, while "My Unborn Beautiful" shines with unbridled enthusiasm.
You're either a fan of this kind of folk-pop or you're not -- but if candy cane harmonies, lo-fi production values and frantic strumming start your feet tapping, then Hutch and Kathy deliver in spades. Kids, sometimes you can judge a book by its cover -- but you might want to have a peek inside to make sure. -- Patrick Dougherty
splendid e-zine
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Hutch and Kathy
Hutch and Kathy (Jealous Butcher Records)
By: Alex Steininger
Lo-fi pop songs that thrive on two-part vocal harmonies. The duo of Hutch and Kathy (formerly known as Urban Legends) deliver a well-polished debut, a testament to the powers of home recording, as it soaks in all the flaws and imperfections of the lo-fi world and uses it all in its favor.
The self-titled full-length offers up whispery guitars over faint drums while Hutch's voice overpowers all; buzzing organ layered on top of lightly crashing drums and a sweeping guitar. Or sweet vocal harmonies floating atop a delicate backdrop. Somehow, no matter how loud or quiet the music gets, Hutch and Kathy remain in control, as their voices come to the forefront, carrying the melody and pushing the songs forward.
"On The Way To Work" demonstrates the band's ability to turn a seemingly lo-fi, folk-rock song into a bouncy indie pop treat, with the buzzing organ swimming note to note, the vocal harmonies re-defining the melody, and the harmonica livening things up.
"Half These Tears" is a singer-songwriter piece carried out by the acoustic guitar and Hutch's voice before the drums come in and give the song some foundation to stand on.
Then there is "An Infinite Loop", a fast-paced, toe-tappin', acoustic pop ditty that will have you singing along and moving your head in approval.
Hutch and Kathy go for the minimalist approach, offering up simple, yet pleasing melodies and equally simple vocal harmonies and beats, ensuring that less is more on more than one occasion. I'll give this a B+.
www.inmusicwetrust.com
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Hutch and Kathy
05.03.02
Self Titled CD Jealous Butcher
Hutch and Kathy, formerly Urban Legends before they got threatened with some kind of lawsuit or something are a Portland staple. So much so that once I looked outside my bedroom window and saw Kathy carrying her drum and Hutch his guitar down the sidewalk to go play on the corner. They make mellow pop music, which I don't like as a general rule, so I always think I don't like their music... the weird thing is that I do like Hutch and Kathy's music.
There is almost more of a folk feel to Hutch's extremely nasally vocals (who someone in Portland once compared to Kermit the Frog). Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. Hutch opens most of the songs strumming his acoustic guitar and huffing into a harmonica like Bob Dylan. Kathy plays a single drum. (A snare? I don't know much about instruments, can you tell). Kathy also sings the back up vocals. Other songs include some keyboards. The sound overall is very simple (which I guess is obvious since there is one drum, a guitar and some harmonica), but the harmonies of Hutch and Kathy are beautiful and touching. "In Brilliance" feels good and "Half There Tears" is also strong. "You're On" is the song I always hear live and realize that I like the band. Simple cute, and yet somehow non-insipid.
www.sincerebrutality.com
Pictures from tour!
http://www.plopfizz.com/hk.html
http://www.waterwithlemon.com/hutchshow.htm
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