Kate Bollinger

It seems almost improbable that Songs From A Thousand Frames of Mind marks Kate Bollinger’s proper debut. After a slate of excellent EPs, singles, and vocal pop-ins with the likes of Drugdealer, it feels like Bollinger has been on the speakers longer than her catalog would attest. Yet here we stand on the precipice of the the album, one of the most tailor-made Autumn releases you’re likely to find in 2024. Capitalizing off of her mixture of ‘60s folk-pop, ’70s Canyon cool, and a porcelain-delicate delivery, the songs on the debut carry a breeziness that’s expected and a depth of production that turns her sunny folk into layered pop dioramas. Strung between contemporaries like Sylvie and Weyes Blood and a link to the past that nods to Linda Perhacs and Susan Christie, the record is both contemporary and classic.

The aural tapestry owes a great deal to Bollinger’s delivery and deft pen, but also to her instincts in surrounding herself with a deep bench of personnel. The record boasts several songs co-written with Matthew E. White and a studio sheen from producer Sam Evian. The album swings from Brill Building grandiosity to E6 psych-pop on a shoestring and Bollinger’s ability to make it all weave together seamlessly remains her greatest strength. The listener is transported, cocooned, and cradled with chambray melodies that swing in the breeze. The record is populated with close-micd strums, tactile piano, yearning guitars, and strings, but strip it all away and the magnetism of Bollinger’s voice would be all that was needed to hold the listener rapt. The long-awaited debut lives up to the mountain of expectations, and in the process becomes a folk treasure of its own.

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