Reviews
HUMAN (Independant)
Katy Wren is an exciting new artist, delivering her exciting debut album, Human. Not easy to categorise, there's something quite Kate Miller-Heidke about Wren, with more of a folk-pop quirk than an operatic twist. Wren is one to watch and definitely worth your time. 4 stars
Jonathon Moran - Sunday Telegraph - FEB 7
HUMAN (Independant)
Watch Sydney's Katy Wren - she's got something. Her songs feel easy in the hand but they don't stay still in the mind. Some songs such as Fragile take a direct and unambiguous route and play nicely. But there are plans afoot in several other tracks, little nudges to change the trajectory of the songs, from Hawaiian twangs to gossamer strings. In Summertime Science, an almost foppish beginning finds itself doing a frug, while Wren bounces over acoustic guitar, and the slightly Iberian rhythm in Sunshine blends into a country rockish backing while Wren's fair voice twinkles. And in many places across the album older listeners may hear Jenny Morris. All good so far."
Bernard Zuel - SMH METRO - DEC 18
Live at the Hopetoun
Iliad (feat. Katy Wren) definitely a band to watch out for. They are a five piece - normal rock set up with keyboards where all the members pretty much keep to themselves. The singer (Katy Wren) has a voice to positively die for. I would assume she takes influence from nobody except the best - Billie Holiday and Etta James. It's all a fairly restrained affair - soft electric guitars, acoustic strums, and a hard working rhythm section - yet the music (pretty much all ballads) conveys some heavy emotion and explores some great spaces.
David Olivetti - Drum Media
EP -LETTERS UNSENT by Wren
The Wren in question is the lovely Katy of the underrated/should have done more with what they had, Iliad. The voice is special, unquestionably. And on the lead track of this debut, Fade, production by Daniel Denholm (Whitlams, million other Australian things...) cradles it with just enough warm technology to show the quality. Elsewhere, she does the confessional acoustic singer-songwriter thing with more class and less self-consciousness than most manage, and a occasional nice spike in the lyric. like Rubberband's "I'm immortalizing you in a song/The only place you'll ever be real for very long". Consider yourself smacked, silly boy.
Ross Clelland - Drum Media 25 May 2004
Album - REALIST by Erratic
Erratic's third album Realist continues to solidify the band as frontrunners in the 'new wave' movement. With their signature sound of electro/rock/funk and additional vocals by guest Katy (Wren) Mc, Erratic impress with their skills on the drums, bass and keyboard so much so that you'll enjoy the several instrumental tracks on the album. Things start off with the electro/rock vibe of Hollow Chambers, a song that incorporates hip hop-styled vocals, that leads into the next track Realist. An early highlight, the Aussie hip hop vocals shine over the funk-driven, bass-ridden backing music. Things only get better with the commencement of Zilch, which is the first track to feature vocalist Katy (Wren) Mc. Her fiery, sexy voice, with its rap/sing song style makes the song the stand out on Realist. The attitude she oozes when she spits “that's right baby, I'm a natural wonder” will definitely have you hitting repeat on that one. Instrumental track Jellyfish is almost the aural equivalent of the animal it's named after, with its breezy, almost floating feel.
Rounding off with the hypnotic Into The Sun, Erratic's eclectic style ensures that they will continue to garner acclaim from fans old and new.
Carlos D. - http://www.threedworld.com.au/music/reviews/showmusicreview.asp?id=3409