Album Review: Kate Nicholson, Fallen From Grace

As a practising GP, Kate Nicholson’s journey to her debut album has been far from typical. But given the nature of her job, her grasp of the human condition extends much further than most – a prerequisite for an album that delves into love, loss and high drama.

Although the Irish singer-songwriter first picked up a guitar at the age of 17, it was ultimately the pandemic, alongside new motherhood, that sparked the creation of her debut, Fallen From Grace.

From the opening track, ‘Fallen From Grace’, her voice – simultaneously warm, gritty and enthralling – immediately marks itself as the record’s central force. Although she delves into elements of blues-rock and ‘90s indie elsewhere, it’s on earthy, Americana-influenced tracks like this, as well as highlights ‘Wrong Side Of The Town’ (featuring The Answer’s Cormac Neeson) and ‘Heart Sells Poison’, that Nicholson truly shines.

Sounds from a bygone era find new life under her command. The genre-spanning approach occasionally leads to a sense of inconsistency, but at its best, most intimate moments, Fallen From Grace is a project infused with authentic, raw emotion and lived experience – marking Kate Nicholson as a hugely promising talent.

Limited edition physical copies of Fallen From Grace are available here. The album will be released on digital platforms in the coming weeks.