ALTHOUGH Phoebe Katis is still in her mid-20s, her lyrics are those of someone who has already lived a long life. They are very much reminiscent of Beverley Craven’s song book, based around relationships – fulfilled and unfulfilled.
Judging by her words, Katis has endured more heartache in her 26 years than most people experience in a lifetime of romance. Bad love, self-love and on occasion some good love.
Sad though it may be, all the emotional turmoil has provided Katis with a rich vein of writing material. Performing at Brasserie Zedel on December 30 (Live at Zedel), she demonstrated that she has put all the broken love and knockbacks to good effect.
There is no doubt that Katis is an extraordinary talent. Possessing a sublime voice, comfortable on the piano, and with a new album about to be cut, she could go far in 2019. Certainly an individual to watch.
Bookending her show with hits from Melody Gardot (Baby I’m a Fool) and Ariana Grande (Thank You, Next), most of her set was based around her own songs (taken primarily from album The Living Room Sessions).
Make Believe (all about first looks and first encounters), Me and You (‘you walked out of my life’), Retrospect (‘a love in retrospect’), Honesty and Nothing Left (taken from her forthcoming album) all emphasised the love theme. These were complemented with songs about friends wanting to give up on London (All it Takes) and Katis’s crisis of confidence as a musician (Maybe).
Her own songs were interspersed with a clever interpretation of Bee Gees hit How Deep is Your Love and a heart-wrenching version of Gretchen Parlato’s Better Than.
With Marcus Heier and Daisy George providing support on drums and guitar, Katis delivered an accomplished set. She has a great future ahead of her – musically and hopefully on the love front.
