"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I just listened to this EP, Ladybug, by Katerina Hope, and, for old time's sake (and to support up-and-coming and local artists), I thought I'd throw up a review:


Upon first meeting Katerina Hope, one will most likely find her quiet, even timid; but her soft-spoken Southern genteel belies an unexpected musical passion that betrays her Jersey roots. Armed with just a guitar and her voice, Ms. Hope brought this veiled energy from Sugar Hill, Georgia and first began to trouble the waters of the New York indie music scene in the fall of 2008. There, according to the bio provided on her MySpace page (found here), she "plays at local hot spots such as the Bitter End and the Bowery Poetry Club," where her lyricism has caught the attention of the likes of poet Michael Rechtenwald.

With the release of her first studio-recorded EP, Ladybug, Katerina Hope is about to make a splash. Her catchy guitar riffs, which often utilize chords somewhat atypical in her line of indie folk (she is currently a Music Composition major at New York University), are both aurally entertaining and stimulating, not to mention the fact that they'll stick in your head long after the songs end. Even more impressive though is her voice. Ms. Hope can wrench the listener's heart with her soft, haunting melodies, before belting out fervid proclamations of love and loss, submerging the listener in the seas of her pain and passion.

Ladybug consists of six tracks, mixing her solo guitar work with pieces using a full studio band. Both styles suit Katerina Hope just fine, displaying her wide range of musical and emotional ability. Were I one with more clout in the music business, or even just as the interested listener I am, I would keep an eye (and ear) out in the coming months and years for Katerina Hope. This EP bodes well for the music to come.