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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Commercially-Friendly Alternative Music, November 25, 2003
Ask any Australian who their favourite modern alternative bands are, and chances are they'll say Powderfinger, The Whitlams and Something for Kate. It is the latter, described as "the thinking person's rock band", that is a strong three-piece outfit that has come a long way from being just a Melbourne pub band.Chief writer Paul Dempsey has explained of keeping notebooks full of lyrics - sentences, phrases and whatever else. So when the band (commonly referred to as SFK) has the music, the next move is to go searching through the notebooks for accompanying lyrics. The result is a band that not only has great music, but also possibly the best lyrics going around today. "Echolalia" is the band's third official album, though there have been others not counted, such as "Q & A with Dean Martin". Like other bands, such as The Whitlams and Coldplay, their singles may not sell so much (in Australia, anyway), but their albums are instant best sellers. There were about three tracks released from "Echolalia". "Three Dimensions" (which contains the album's title word) is catchy, and at some stages one note is repeated on the keyboard, reminiscent of train gates, or indeed plain traffic. "Say Something" takes this theme, which perfectly fits in with the line "the faces have become like traffic". The result is extremely catchy frenzied activity in less than three minutes. And "Monsters" is about the things that trap us, and is good quality soft alternative music. "Stunt Show" is a perfect opening track, one of the best on the album. It starts off with an acoustic guitar, and builds from there. The lyrics, like most songs on this album, are just brilliant. "Jerry, Stand Up" is dramatic, and gets better the more you think about it, and the more you listen to it. Originally, I'd brushed over this song a bit, but two years later I've realised how excellent it really is. Some parts of it seem to have things in common with a Coldplay song, "A Rush of Blood to the Head" - it's not blindingly obvious, but it is a slight comparison. However, the "Echolalia" album was released a year before the "A Rush of Blood to the Head" album. "Old Pictures" isn't exceptionally extraordinary, but it has an enjoyable bridge. "You Only Hide..." is a gentle, slow track, and it would make for a very nice live track. (Sure enough, it is played live as a B-side on the "Déjà Vu" single, from the August 2003 released fourth album, "The Official Fiction".) And "Twenty Years" is a companionable, solid track. "Feeding the Birds and Hoping for Something in Return" is the track that stands out the most. It's about panic, and the music and lyrics clearly reflect this - in fact, it is these lyrics that are the best on the album, and the overall package is remarkable. Another standout is "Happy Endings", which is hard to describe, but it's definitely special, again with good quality lyrics. "Manmade Horse" has music reminiscent of Westerns, on a journey into unknown territory. "Seasick" has the title's feeling clearly demonstrated in the music. And "White", the closing track, is seemingly simple, but thoroughly enjoyable. As with a lot of Australian music, foreign audiences may not be very aware of this band, but they have performed in places such as Germany. And sometime this year, they toured (or will tour) Europe as a support band for another Aussie band, silverchair. Personally, I prefer Something for Kate, and many will agree. If intelligent alternative music takes your fancy, then take an interest in SFK.
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by Something for Kate 
