Album Review: Catherine Feeny & Chris Johnedis

Catherine Feeny & Chris Johnedis (Fluff & Gravy)

By Casey Jarman

[FOLK SOUL] Early in her career, Catherine Feeny had what seemed like a pretty straight shot at a life of recording safe, folky pop tunes tailor-made for licensing success. But she chose growth over security, and a decade of strange bedfellows and Occupy protests later, she's a much better songwriter for it. This collaboration with jazz drummer Chris Johnedis opens with three fantastic songs: The minimal, Fiona Apple-ish "Against You"; a coffee-shop R&B cut about privilege and the prison-industrial complex called "Girl's Got Pockets"; and the absolutely haunting, almost-whispered "Afraid." Not every risk pans out. "White Flight" is over-churched and bites off more than it can chew, while "Harm" is a bit cute and predictable. Overall, though, it's a fantastic outing—not to mention an excellent pairing—from a songwriter who continues to push herself and build a discography that should make both Feeny and her adopted home of Portland real proud.

SEE IT: Catherine Feeny & Chris Johnedis play the Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave., with Sama Dams and Like a Villain, on Saturday, April 25. 7:30 pm. $12. All ages.

WWeek 2015

Casey Jarman

Casey Jarman

Casey Jarman is a freelance editor and writer based in East Portland, Oregon. He has served as Music Editor at Willamette Week and Managing Editor at The Believer magazine, where he remains a contributing editor. He is currently working on his first book. It's about death.

Willamette Week’s reporting has real-life impact that changes laws, forces action by civic leaders, and drives compromised politicians from public office.

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