Having read a couple of fairly in-depth interviews with her, my impression is that she is genuinely bemused by the lavish praise that is being heaped on her debut album; without giving off the scent of false modesty, she is pretty level-headed about her piano playing and singing abilities.
She wrote two and co-wrote another song on the record, and members of her band wrote several more. I've never seen her describe herself as a singer-songwriter, even though some of the lazier periodicals are using that term about her. When the backlash comes, as it surely will, you can be sure that people will write and say "she calls herself a songwriter? Pah, she hardly wrote any of the those songs..." We will see how quickly people turn. As for me, I LOVED Don't Know Why when I heard it, and still think it's a lovely song. I loved the album too, although I don't think its allure is built to last - I listened to it last night, and wasn't that taken with it. It's a bit one-paced, and, as some others have remarked, most of the songs aren't that strong. What makes me believe that she will go on to better things is that the title song, which she wrote, is one of the best songs on the record. And when I saw her live on Later with Jools Holland, she really was terrific. Small, very intimate band, they kept everything simple and played with a lot of soul. She played some very nice piano and sang beautifully. The audience were really into it. She's at an early stage, but there is both talent and presence there, and I think she'll make the grade. Azeem in London NP: Kathryn Williams - Little Black Numbers
