I have always had a fondness for singer songwriters with a purpose. It takes a notable degree of courage to write songs that speak not of commercial product placement but instead of matters that might resonate, at some emotional level, with those whose hearts have not been bought and paid for. “This Might Affect You” by St Catherine’s Child is , duly and verily, an album that follows its own path straight to your front door.
St Catherine’s Child – aka Illana Zsigmond – stays pretty close to listener expectations with her album. The songs are well constructed and often evoke fashionable Americana stylisations while she displays, on many an occasion, a literacy that verges on the poetic and, despite some entirely expected introspection and eloquently expressed melancholy, she confidently steers a course that exemplifies maturity. So, these twelve songs are clearly styled to take you to a destination with enough in the way of familiar stylistic influences to induce acceptance - “The Other Side of Twenty Five” evokes Fleetwood Mac and “Negative Space” sounding like a resprayed with authenticity retake of the commercial Nashville sound – yet there is also a courageous and successful, if somewhat unexpected, muscling up of the her musical presentation with “This Might Affect You” consequently amplifying her message of emotional discord.
“This Might Affect You” is an album that is easy to like and equally easy to relate to. Sentimentality is much in evidence yet, in amongst the literate presentation of matters of the heart and history, St Catherine’s Child demonstrates a strength of character that might possibly inspire you and yours.