Multi-faceted pop singer/songwriter/producer Kate Brunotts first popped on our radars last year with her single “All In My Head” which was followed by her self-produced all caps, a conceptual project that explores the blurred lines between an individual’s digital and physical representation. The forward-thinking NY-based singer is now back with her debut album Womb, a 10-track project that explores femininity, sexuality, life and all the idiosyncrasies that are attached to it. The project opens up with the brooding and punchy “Bleed” which explores vulnerability in her own way. The record sets the tone with its somewhat dramatic textures and Kate’s airy and layered melodic runs.
In “I Can’t Help But Adore You”, she makes use of a dark futuristic soundscape made up of distorted sound designs, pops and clicks as her canvas as she muses on romantic security in a time where such thing is often hard to find. Always one to push the envelope, her use of retro British 80s pop elements in “Do You Want To Dance?” is quite brilliant. From the 4/4 drum groove, brooding synths and monotone vocal stylings underpinned by insightful lyrics on real-time issues, Kate sheds light on the current state of the world from a gloomy perspective while posing a potent question. Her airy, sublime vocal style comes to play once more on “Tenderly”, an experimental pop love ballad that details true love between two individuals, this is followed by the ethereal record titled “Used”.
The record is about recognizing that you’ve gotten yourself in a parasitic situation, and you’re ready to free yourself from it at all costs. It’s. as dynamic as they come and it’s built on moody synths, warm pads and seamless transitions that imply a change in the protagonist’s emotional state as time progresses. The project closes out with “Your Daughter’s Dead”, which is quite a morbid title but thematically ties into Kate’s non-conformist style. The production is punchy, off-kilter and blends a handful of genres together with its pop-rock and R&B stylings. The lyrics are brooding and Kate’s carefree melodic runs really raise the ante and give listeners a sneak peek into her life as a woman going through the wringer.
Womb is rich, profound and thought-provoking and as she puts it, it’s a commentary on what it means to be a woman in today’s America. Eat or be eaten, be sexual or be sexualized, give birth or be defined by your decision not to do so– Birthing bodies are consistently defined by their fertility utility, rather than the nuance and depth that goes into being a full, living being.
Kate hopes this album will connect with listeners looking to explore a raw, non-linear depiction of pop.
Stream Womb on all DSPs here.
Connect with Kate Brunotts: SoundCloud | TikTok | YouTube | Instagram
