''Kensal Road'' is a

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

recording artist

Kate Ceberano Catherine Yvette Ceberano ( or , born 17 November 1966) is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the soul, jazz, and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as '' Jesus Christ Superstar''. Her song " Pash" received a gold ...

that was released on 26 July 2013.

Background

''Kensal Road'' was recorded in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

with songwriter/producer James Bryan and marks Kate Ceberano's first recordings of original material since '' The Girl Can Help It'' in 2003. It contains elements of Ceberano's original pop sound and was announced ''Kensal Road'' as "a new chapter" in Ceberano's musical career. Ceberano said about the album: "I think it's one of my favourite albums because of the elements that went into making it, working with some amazing European musicians, having the creative control and the support of Sony Music Australia. Rather than me having to go to them and say I want to do this they said 'we're ready for you to do this now' and that is a beautiful reversal of flow if you know what I mean." Musically, ''Kensal Road'' incorporates Kate's early musical influences of Hawaiian folk music and

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

, but was also created to reflect the genres of nu-folk and nu-country, being influenced by such singer/songwriters as

Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...

Laura Marling Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is a British folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Brit Aw ...

and

Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left ...

Singles

* "Magnet" was released as the first single on 31 May 2013. A video was released via Ceberano's

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

account on 7 October 2013. * A video for "How High" was released on 12 November 2013.

Critical reception

Tex Miller of ''Forte Magazine'' gave the album a positive review, saying: "Straight off the bat, you are greeted with sweet vocal harmonies and some country-esque pop guitar lines that features ukulele, mandolin and guitar to name just a few of the instruments that James Bryan has played." He admitted not previously being a fan of Ceberano, but continued by adding: "If you've previously been sceptical of Kate Ceberano, give this a listen, it will change your tune."

Track listing

The album was released digitally and physically in Australia on 26 July 2013.

Charts

Tour

To promote the album, Ceberano toured Australia throughout October and November 2013. She played the drums in this tour. The support act was Alison Ainsworth, a

Triple J Unearthed Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...

feature singer and songwriter from

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. The tour received positive reviews, including one from Gen Adams of ''Weekend Notes'', who said: "Past hits like 'Brave', 'Pash' and 'I Don't Know How To Love Him' were popular. Her new songs were listened to with delight as she sang them faultlessly and passionately. In between songs, her banter with the audience was genuine and her fun-loving and bubbly personality exuded love and comfort. Her years of experience and professionalism brought a natural feel to the stage. Audience participation was welcomed and this made the crowds feel like they were part of Kate's extended family. We were invited to join in with choruses, singing rhythms and clapping beats". Tour dates:

References

{{Authority control 2013 albums Kate Ceberano albums Sony Music Australia albums