Though she’s only 20, this hugely talented North Dubliner has been knocking around the local scene since her early teens, gigging relentlessly and releasing a well-received EP a few years back. For her full-length debut she’s enlisted a heavyweight producer in Chris Tsangarides (Thin Lizzy, Ozzy, Depeche Mode), and recorded it in a remote studio in North Wales (fans of Led Zeppelin IV take note).
Her influences range from punk to pop and, on occasion, folk, but a 70s hard rock sound predominates here. Distorted guitars, thundering drums and pounding bass introduce the opener ‘Hard To Grasp’. The first thing you notice is that Harte’s’voice is buried deep in the mix, almost battling to be heard above the racket. Full of teenage rage and angst, her singing recalls a blend of Joan Jett and Kim Wilde.
Pastoral Jimmy Page-style acoustic guitars form the backdrop to the slow-burner ‘Maybe’, allowing her voice to come to the fore. Another ballad, ‘Hopeless Cases’, is a cautionary a tale of suicide that works better than the four-to-the-floor assault of ‘Mr Fortune’, a fairly pedestrian piece of rifferama which is drowned in studio effects. Meanwhile, ‘Losing Touch’ – not the most challenging song to begin with – is redeemed slightly by some impressive playing and an arrangement that isn’t crammed to the gills. The album ends with ‘Can You Hear The Sound’, an epic ballad featuring some nice gospel-style backing vocals.
It’s a fine debut then, if somewhat lacking in really strong songs. The other caveat is that Harte’s personality is rarely allowed to shine through, and strangely enough she’s not pictured on the cover – a missed opportunity, given the marketing value of an attractive female fronting hard rock outfit.
File under promising stuff.