High Plains Reader, Fargo, ND/Moorhead, MN
October 4, 2001

CD Review by John Lamb

Katy Tessman has a big voice. You can't run away from it, you can't hide from it and on her 11-song debut, Fall, you certainly can't ignore it. Although she also plays guitar and occasionally mandolin, it is Tessman's voice that easily stands out as the most powerful instrument on the album. Still, what separates the album from the rest of the CDs in most folk sections is a sophisticated sense of composition and a wide variety of sounds to complement, though never overshadow the vocals.

Right off the bat with the opening track, "Wash It Away," Tessman spreads her voice over her guitar and percussive section of drums, congas, shakers and tambourines. The effect carries a rippling motion through the piece, echoing the song's message of the power of change.

But Tessman is smart enough to change directions from time to time, maintaining the listener's attention. "Dip, Dip and Swing" boasts the same sweet Joni Mitchell vocals, but the heavy basswork and percussion form a solid groove that carry the song. "Make You Stare" hosts some melodic fiddlework by Randy Sabien (an occasional Greg Brown accompanist), just as the cello in "Bright Chair" adds a sense of melancholy.

The variety of emotional tones in the songs vary from one to the other just as well. "Wash It Away" and "Thinking of You" represent the confessional songs -- the bread and butter of any good folk singer -- but act as an about face when compared to the light and bouncy "Odd Timing" and "Make You Stare."

The variety in song selection adds to the album's strength, though at times the lyricism seems a bit uneven. "Dip, Dip and Swing" is a solid train-of-thought piece, nostalgic memories of childhood camping and boating. But "Make You Stare," a shout-out from Tessman to her "beautiful girlfriends," sounds more like a paean to a Jersey girl's bachelorette party with lyrics like "She wears red lipstick/This woman ain't your average chick" and "Her black shoes are so cool they hurt/Especially when she wears your favorite skirt."

A few awkward lyrics aside, Fall is a solid debut for a contemporary folksinger. Tessman bears maturity in knowing how songs work and how to make them work for her and with a voice like that, she's assured herself a chance to be heard.

(Katy Tessman will kick off the Rush-Hour concert series at the Plains Art Museum this Thursday, October 4th at 5:30 p.m.)

Photography by Jon Duder.