Elizabeth & The Catapult are (like everyone today) a Brooklyn-based trio lead by classically trained pianist & vocalist Elizabeth Ziman. Their debut album Taller Children came out in June on Verve.

I had trouble picking one song from the album for this list but I forced myself to not repeat any artists in my Top 5 and so had to listen to this album over and over again. And let me tell you, I hated ever minute of that.

What makes Taller Children a solid debut is its variety. Elizabeth & The Catapult certainly have a distinct sound they’re working on but they shake up the tracks with different beats and layers to give each song its own identity.

A lot of indie artists seem to get flummoxed by the studio. I can’t tell you how many bands I have seen live and excitedly bought their CD only to discover their live presence has been stifled by slick production values. Whilst I have never seen Elizabeth & The Catapult, Taller Children has a quality to it possessed by the best albums. A quality I can only describe as “balls”. Two other favorite tracks are “Momma’s Boy” and “Hit the Wall” but I landed on “Complimentary Me” for its raw emotional honesty.

Ziman’s vocals have a slight break in them that you hear with some frequency on the radio today. But unlike other artists, Ziman has total control over her voice and can take it wherever she wants. The song’s protagonist wonders why she uses objects in her life (both real and imaginary) as avatars for herself since this practice has left her completely alone. But the heartbreak of the song comes when we realize that she cannot (or will not) change her station and therefore is doomed to repeat herself.

Put a catchy beat behind that, arrange it just so, and you’ve got yourself a song.

Elizabeth & The Catapult official site.

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