Katie Gavin What a Relief

Katie Gavin's debut What A Relief taps into theunguarded self-possession and homespun popsensibility of singers like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Appleand Ani DiFranco, and uses their tenacity as a north starfor Gavin's own trek towards self-discovery. "This recordspans a lot of my life - it's about having a really deepdesire for connection, but also encountering all theobstacles that stood in my way to be able to achieve that,patterns of isolation or even boredom with the real workof love" they say.Written over the course of seven years, What A Reliefcomprises a set of songs that Gavin always loved butwhich "had something in them" that she and herbandmates felt didn't quite fit within the universe theywere trying to cultivate with MUNA. Many of them werewritten on acoustic guitar, and are rooted in "a style ofmusic that's very much in my blood, and natural for me,"as typified by the Women & Songs CDs that Gavin loves,which compiled music by artists like Tracy Chapman, ToriAmos and Sarah McLachlan.That openness of spirit is the overwhelming character ofWhat A Relief, an album that's refreshing in it'swillingness to accept people as they come, even as itremains in dogged pursuit of a life that's kinder, wiserand more loving. Gavin's explorations of desire andintimacy feel time-worn and necessary - songs thatmight teach a generation if not how to live, exactly, thenat least how to look within oneself for guidance abouthow to move forward.