Last year, indie-rock artist Kat Hamilton released her nine-track debut album, Recovery Songs, a collection of songs of Kat’s encounters and struggles, an intimate portrayal of addiction, trauma, loss, and recovery.
Now on Recovery Songs, a group of artists from all over the U.S. cover the songs from the album, reimagining Kat’s songs with stylistic flair. All proceeds from Bandcamp will go to The Trevor Project, an emergency hotline and community organization for LGBTQ+ youth.
Based in Los Angeles, Kat Hamilton grew up in the Bay Area, later living in a number of cities: New York, Philadelphia, Boston, London, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Her sound amalgamates elements of rock, pop, Americana, and emo into deliciously distinctive sonic confections.
Talking about her sound, Kat explains, “I feel like emo and country have so much in common. They are both a few chords and a story. So even though they may seem like an unlikely fit, I see them as doing the same job.”
The songs and artists on Recovery Friends include:
“Medicine Line” – Mom Friend
“Ohio” – Emmesongs
“Empty Room” – Will Lynch
“Slow Motion” – Ali Coyle
“Hate Me” – No Grudges
“Afraid of your Body” – April Keez
“Amnesia” – Zee Machine
“Little Gods” – The Astronots
“Plastic Folding Chairs” – Haus Music
Recovery Friends begins with “Medicine Line,” which Mom Friend imbues with dirty garage-rock guitars riding a thick, contagious rhythm. Infused with savors of country flavors, Mom Friend’s vocals give the lyrics meaningful narration of “waiting in the medicine line.”
Highlights include Ali Coyle’s version of “Slow Motion,” rolling out on shimmering dream-pop textures as Ali’s lush, wistful tones imbue the lyrics with gentle filaments of color.
“I watched the bomb go off in slow motion / I watched the blood unfold in the sky / All I could do was watch the explosion / All I could do was stand there and cry.”
A personal favorite is No Grudges’ rendition of “Hate Me,” chock-full of measured dollops of pop-punk imbued with tints of riot grrrl dynamics. Raw and starkly stripped-down, No Grudges delivers a wickedly visceral interpretation.
On “Amnesia,” Zee Machine merges sumptuously haunting vocal timbres with low-slung alt-rock essence, sprinkled with alt-pop aromas. The vocals on this track surpass excellence and enter the realm of superlative.
There’s an alluring quality to “Little Gods” by The Astronots, especially when Allee’s delectable, yummy timbres take over lead vocals. It’s a grand, deluxe voice rife with scrumptious country-pop splashes.
“When you look in the mirror / Do you see a halo and wings / Are you sitting on a throne of your judgmental thoughts? / Baby I’m not.”
At once innovative and irresistible, Recovery Friends demonstrates the musical gifts of a vast array of extremely talented artists, as well as the momentous lyricism of Kat Hamilton.
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Support the Trevor Project. Purchase on Bandcamp: Recovery Friends (a cover compilation) by Various Artists
