Katy Rose - Because I Can

In the modern world of music, where there are seemingly a dozen of every type of artist, how is it that some separate themselves from the crowd while others just sort of hover at a certain level? Simply put, it is the songs that make the difference. Let’s not pull any punches on this people; there are a lot of bands that sound alike and a lot of artists with the same basic approach. Girls with guitars are no exception. No matter how different Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, and Liz Phair may be, they still get clumped together in the same group. Katy Rose steps into that same group as just another face in the crowd. She is part rock, part pop, part introspective poet, part every guitar-slinging teenage girl you can think of. But like I said, it isn’t necessarily the approach that matters; plenty of people have been in the same group. Forget all the bios and the angles. In the end, it just comes down to the songs, and unfortunately this album doesn’t do too much to separate itself from its peers. Because I Can, the debut album from this sixteen-year-old singer/songwriter, opens with a catchy enough tune, “Overdrive,” which you may have seen and heard on a cell phone commercial. “I Like” is almost a rap rock tune that is a change of pace but doesn’t jump off the headphones at you. “Watching The Rain” is really the first truly forgettable track on the album and forewarns that maybe a storm is brewing. “Enchanted” rights the ship with a decent little diddy before the album shifts again in into “Catch My Fall,” an off pace rocker. “Snowflake” sounds like a Fiona Apple b-side, which is a good and a bad thing. As you may have noticed, the disc jumps around a lot from rock to soul, from acoustic to electric, from rapping lyrics to showing off a voice. This is not always good. The second half of the album continues the genre and style jumping. “Teachin’ Myself To Dream” has the potential for a radio spin or two but not a hit. This leads into an Alanis-type angry track “Vacation.” Shifting to soulful acoustic rock, “Original Skin” is a nice moment on the disc conveying a girl turning into a woman. Arguably the strongest cut on the disc is a solemn song called “Lemon” that feels more like what Katy should be focusing on rather than jumping around. Ending in the same stride, “Because I Can” leaves you with a decent taste in your mouth. The ultimate downfall of this album is the songs that comprise it. They are good but just not up to a level that will get recognition. Varying and jumping from one style to another between tracks leaves a disjointed whole, and while showing some strength and potential on the softer, insightful tracks, the cliché chic rock moments leave you with an over-riding feeling of sameness. I would call this album a fair effort, but in the end it just seems to add onto a pile already overcrowded instead of trying to be unique and filling a void. [www.katyrose.net]