Fatty Gets A Stylist -Fatty Gets A Stylist

Thu 6th Oct, 2011 in Music Reviews

Proving to be one of Australia’s most versatile and quirky singer/songwriters, Kate Miller-Heidke has ventured on many paths throughout her musical career, from being classically trained as a singer, to creating exceptionally catchy pop tunes, to working with Ben Folds on his recordings. Fatty Gets A Stylist is Miller-Heidke’s latest project, which is a collaboration alongside her songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/husband Kuir Nuttall.

Are You Ready being the opening track and latest single for Fatty Gets A Stylist is one of those tracks that you either love or hate. The song is purely based around getting stuck in your head, with the chorus phrase being repeated almost excessively “Are you all ready, are you ready get set, are you ready get set, are you ready?” This vocal line is accompanied by almost play-schoolish keyboard chord progressions and simple percussion rhythms.

However, the remainder of the LP isn’t all so naïve and innocent, with some more alternative styles becoming prominent within the tracks Holloway Park and The Devil’s In The Details. These tracks highlight a more mature attitude to songwriting, with the utilisation of darker synthesised tones, audio sampling and experimental rhythms. Within Holloway Park, Miller-Heidke channels her inner Santigold and transforms her innocent sing-a-longs into a far more urban and contemporary sound.

This does seem to be an incredibly “Kate Miller-Heidke” based record, with her vocals featuring throughout the record, but considering that the style is somewhat different to the conventional pop recordings that is her trademark, it is quite the smart move to create this recording under the moniker of Fatty Gets A Stylist.

If nothing else, Fatty Gets A Stylist both as a project and as an album, accentuates the versatility of this already incredibly talented duo, however its strength as a commercially successful release doesn’t seem to be prominent. There is a great amount of respect for both Kate Miller-Heidke and Kuir Nutall for their willingness to experiment and create something truly different, and this record certainly builds to this reputation.