Story
Girl by
Melissa Giannini (4/16/01)
An
enrapturing storyteller, Audra Lynne Kubat (of Stunning
Amazon) offers a present-tense history lesson in her
solo work, intertwining fantasy with reality all the
while. Shadowed and ruggedly beautiful, her knowing
voice fades into wind whipping across an empty beach
and seeps through cracks in the pavement of an abandoned
city. Aggressive yet subdued guitar strums offer a sturdy
backbone. Overall, an empowering and humbling experience
to behold.
Audra
Lynne Kubat is sitting in the back room of Union Street
at the end of her shift, dabbing at a glob of ink with
her finger that found its way onto a black-and-white
sketch she's working on. It looks kind of like a plant
or flower stretching off the page, blooming from the
dried and bleached pulp. When she sees me, she puts
it away and tries to focus her attention on her music,
what I came to talk to her about. "It's for a class,"
she says looking down. "I've never really been
good at drawing reality."
Everything
else about her exudes realism, however. Her naked and
pale complexion, hair pulled back into a cream-colored
wool hat. Not to mention her stark new solo album, Elixir,
a ruggedly pretty venture into muted guitar, haunted
voice and empowering-while-humbling storytelling. It
calls to mind great albums from folksingers such as
Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez, and translates their messages
to the present tense - and to the language of her hometown.
Most of her subject matter draws from growing up and
living in Detroit. She recognizes the things she doesn't
like - racism and fear - and is attempting to inspire
positive change.
Kubat's
holding a release party for the CD on Saturday at 313.JAC.
The party's going to have a loose format, which will
allow her a chance to talk about what she's been up
to and to eat some of the vegetarian food she plans
on bringing. She'll also play a few songs.
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