Erin Côté’s New Single, EP Warrants Major Play
By Deuce
There simply aren’t a lot of artists like the one, the only, Erin Côté. Her points of variance with other singers are as multifaceted as they are protuberant.
For starters, she had the perspicacity to put out her most recent release, Cheeky Saint, on 12/20/2022.
There’s three cuts on the Extended Player.
Moreover, just over a month beforehand, she unveiled a new single, “Crazy Ex Girlfriend”, in which she assures listeners that she’s the crazy ex-girlfriend.
Strikingly, the single is not on the EP.
You can see where we’re going with this. Or so it seems, until you actually get a full dose of the artist’s music. Her style is fun, refreshing, classy, and classic. She over enunciates her words at times, often with a playful, tongue-in-cheek type style that seems as though she’s not taking herself too seriously when she very well could be.
But she’s also got a penchant for coming up with melodic hooks and verses, and does all of the above, the latter and the former, including her unique vocal styling, on “Girlfriend.” Check how she floats the loveliest “Aah, aah aahs” (which are really “I, I, I’s” out the blue on the hook, before coming with the cartoon voice for the affirmation that she’s the loony former lady in someone’s life.
Lyrically, she’s got a knack for playing the part of a raconteur, reciting tales, rising actions, climaxes, and all with music that at times takes you back to the 30’s or 40’s, much like some of the best work of the long lamented Jazzyfatnastees (when they were a quartet). “Diamonds and Gold” is one such number that’s a show tune, complete with vivacious horns, live-sounding drums in parts, and some of the most ineffable piano playing you’ve likely heard in a minute.
Another tune, “Stranger on a Skytrain” typifies her propensity for churning out pleasing melodies. Granted, she does so over a truly dolby bass line, for one of the strongest tracks on the EP/single combination. Laurels are due to Keith Burchnall, who put it down on the keys, guitar, and production on the EP, as well as to Jeff Dawson for manning the boards on “Girlfriend”.
Hopefully, one of these days soon, Côté will get back in the lab to give us some more.
