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.