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Katie Noonan’s solo release, Skin, has taken up permanent residence in my stereo. The voice behind supergroup George has produced an album of 
infectious joy that gets richer with every listen.
It’s been five years since George released their landmark album, Polyserena. A lot has changed for Katie Noonan in that time. Many performers seem to lose their passion once spouses and children enter the picture, but the opposite seems true here. It’s allowed Katie to create songs that are intensely personal, but instantly accessible.
Love is the dominant theme underpinning all the album’s tracks. Not the clichéd love we’ve all heard about a thousand times before, but an emotion that’s deeply personal. Even when romantic love is explored, as in “Logic,” “Love’s My Song For You,” and “Home,” it’s approached with individuality and honesty.
But Katie knows there’s more than romantic love in this world, and Skin examines that too. “Little Boy Man” is a tender expression of love for her son, while the jazzy single “Time To Begin” celebrates love of self.
Skin is a very special collection of tracks that peels back the layers of one of Australia’s most distinguished female voices. But don’t just take my word for it. Katie Noonan is NineMSN’s featured artist, which means you can listen to the entire recording for free.
Skin is available for a limited time with a special bonus disc, which includes the George hits “Special Ones” and “Breathe In Now” and her cover of the Cold Chisel classic, “Choir Girl.”
Image source: BigPond Music
I have tried and tried and tried to like “Skin”. I have listened to it solidly for a week. I’ve tried to get into this “frou frou” album and all I can say is that the whole thing is fluff.
“Tori Amos” lite.
Kate Bush without the demented “edge”.
Interesting comment Steven. Let’s face it – right now Tori Amos produces Tori Amos lite
. It seems like once female artists settle down with a partner and kids, they naturally lose that edge. Ordinarily I’ve been disappointed by that – Tori will never make another “Little Earthquakes” or “Under the Pink” and going back further than that, we’ll never see Melissa Etheridge deliver the sort of passion she did on her debut. But I don’t know … I’m really enjoying this more positive and frothy Katie Noonan offering.
If it’s any comfort to you, she’s mentioned in an interview I read that George do plan to record another album in a few years time. With the influence of the guys in the band, perhaps that will be more to your tastes.
Ms Noonan seems to enjoy singing and floats around at the top of her range. However, I find her voice unfocused and her timbre pretty but uninteresting. Her vocal technique is what we would called “well schooled but dull”.
I was listening to a recording of Minnie Riperton singing her song “The Simple Things” yesterday and I have to say that Ms Riperton put in more honest emotion, expression and sheer “joie de vivre” into that one song than Ms Noonan seems capable of injecting into an entire album.
I am sorry to have to say this about the work of a compatriot, but “Skin” struck me as nothing more than pretentious “Lounge music”.
Goodness, gracious people! I happen to believe that Katie Noonan is one of the most talented and pure artists to come out of this country. Her vocal capability is unlimited, as is her creativity, openess to style and lyrical exploration. If you think she’s going to change what her voice sounds like just for your listening pleasure, think again, however I’m somewhat shocked it doesn’t do it for you anyway. Rock on Katie:-)
I agree with you Ruth
But hey, horses for courses. It seems like a lot of Australia is behind the album considering how well it’s charting, bvut it’s never going to please everyone 
.
Steven how can u say this is fluff-have a good listen to not just wot katie is doing but the whole thing-she has possibly australia’s best drummer under 30 as well as a shit hot bass player in sam dixon-musically this album is so clever-check out the bloody chord progressions! the vocal hooks r pure gold, great solid grooves and great lyrics which actually tell a story. as a singer i’m shocked that u could say that about her voice-dull-man u obviously have no idea wot ure talking about-i can understand that u may not like the album but dont go makin those sort of comments when there is nothing-if u listen-to back it up
Fergo, I listen to a lot of music. I am a musician and singer myself. I have been a member of bands and orchestras. I have sung in choirs and operas.
Noonan’s voice is dull and not terribly expressive. Her timbre is unfocused and she vocalises in a way that is frequently aimless and musically unnecessary. Her songs are unmemorable and musically uninspired. “Skin” isn’t a bad album, just a very ordinary one. It is a pretentious and self important recording and I think it is a pity an outsider didn’t sit down and exercise some strong discipline when this album was made. It strikes me that Noonan was indulged by the musicians and producer of this album.
Needless to say, expect to see “Skin” in the bargain bins very soon.
steven, well then it is even more of a shock that you can bag out this album and Katie being a musician-how much more emotion can you put in a voice? yeah she is trained, she doesn’t scream or stuff her voice up by singing wrong but that doesn’t mean she isn’t an emotional singer-she wrote one of the songs about her son for god sake. Aimless and musically unnecessary???? i’d love to hear what you do like listening to seeing as tho you r bagging a great album made by some of the best Australia has to offer when 90% of the shit they are churning out nowadays in absolute crap.
“i’d love to hear what you do like listening to seeing as tho you r bagging a great album made by some of the best Australia has to offer when 90% of the shit they are churning out nowadays in absolute crap.”
“90%” of WHAT is “absolute crap” these days? Australian music? Music throughout the world? Only Pop music? There are loads and loads of excellent recordings being made by artists in all musical genres all over the world these days. Shiina Ringo’s two recent solo albums are utterly brilliant – “Karuki Zaamen Kuri-no-Hana” and “Heisei Fūzoku”
Melbourne born, Danielle de Niese has made a wonderful album of Handel Arias with the orchestra of Les Arts Florissants directed by William Christie. Danielle is one of the world’s finest young singers.
http://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Niese-Handel-George-Frideric/dp/B000VKJ6TA
French singer, Véronique Gens recently recorded a fantastic album of arias from French Baroque operas with Les Talens Lyriques. The album is called “Tragédiennes”.
http://www.amazon.com/V%C3%A9ronique-Gens-Trag%C3%A9diennes-Jean-Baptiste-Lully/dp/B000BU99CO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1194986726&sr=1-2
I would be crazy if I didn’t mention Patricia Petibon, Sandrine Piau and Natalie Dessay – three of the greatest singers around in the 21st century.
http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Sandrine-Christophe-Rousset-Lyriques/dp/B000GETU9C/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194986953&sr=1-9
http://www.amazon.com/Igor-Stravinsky-Nightingale-McLaughlin-Schagidullin/dp/B0007RO54I/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194987014&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Recital-Salle-Gaveau-Patricia-Petibon/dp/B000BU98YI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194987150&sr=1-6
Patricia Petibon is my favourite singer in the whole world.
I shouldn’t forget to mention La Compañia – an Australian group fronted by my friend and fellow cornettist, Danny Lucin.
http://www.lacompania.com.au/info/reviews.html
“yeah she is trained, she doesn’t scream or stuff her voice up by singing wrong but that doesn’t mean she isn’t an emotional singer-she wrote one of the songs about her son for god sake.”
If Katie Noonan is a trained singer, that isn’t really an excuse. Trained singers can make dull and uninteresting albums, they do all the time! So she wrote a song about her son? I should care about this because ….. ?
Noonan’s voice is unfocused and “fluffy” and not terribly expressive. In the Classical Music world we might say “well schooled but dull”. Well, I doubt that Ms Noonan was all that ‘well schooled’, considering the fact that her mother had no operatic career to speak of.
I also refuse to support an artist ‘just because they are Australian’. I have certain expectations from the music I spend my money on and I am quite relaxed about providing an occasional warning to my fellow music lovers about a new album when I feel that my expectations have not been met and that I have wasted my time and my money.
I honestly gave “Skin” more than a fair go and it has been played more than thirty or forty times in my workplace. The result? No one I work with ever wants to hear it again. I have been specifically asked not to play it again by the thirty people I work with. I invite you to make of that what you will, Fergo.
I’m totally loving this album. I know I’m a little behind everyone else as it was released last year, but hey, better late than never…
I love George, but I used to only really listen to the songs Katie sung.
Killer album – well done to you
Better late than never Jesse – glad you’re enjoying it