KATY J PEARSON FINDS HERSELF ON NEW ALBUM SOMEDAY, NOW

ALBUM REVIEW | KATY J PEARSON – SOMEDAY, NOW by Morris Shamah 4/5

Someday, Now, the newest record from Katy J Pearson, arrived this week from Heavenly Recordings. Featuring ten tracks that cross genres from neo-soul to neo-country to neo-singer-songwiter, Pearson’s third record displays impressive range and focus, both at once.

The album opens with an ominous, machine-distorted voiceover stating “may the wind be always at your back” before breaking into the (appropriately) breezy opener, The Goodbyes. Here we’re introduced to Pearson’s vulernability, which rings true throughout the record, when she croons “Now that the time has come / What to say / We’re tired of reasons why / We should walk / And I know you’re gonna do it / Make me feel stupid / And I know you’re gonna do it / Make me feel stupid.” Pearson’s vocals float above record’s many layered intruments, as the music blends back and forth. We’re also introduced to perhaps the most signature and consistent sound throughout the album – the round, bouncing bassline, which anchors the record in a dancable, pop-music sheen.

This album follows a fallow period for Pearson, who took a break after her second record, 2022’s Sound of the Morning, when she exprienced burnout and placed herself in a musical exile. Someday, Now find her returning with intention and clarity -“I knew exactly who I wanted to work with, I knew exactly who my session band were going to be, I knew where I wanted to record. It felt like I was finally calling the shots for myself, and that was so empowering.” Nowhere is that clearer than on the standout fourth track, Maybe. The bouncy, upbeat melody – there’s that bassline – seems tailor made for skipping down the pavement on a sunny day, and the lyrics present Pearson in all her hopeful confidence “I walked along the path I made / No retrograde but I got a feeling / That there is something here for me.“

Late in the album, Pearson reveals a bit of the longing that predates the confidence, in Someday, the album’s most singer-songwriter moment. Slow and thoughtful, the song saunters along while Pearson longs for arrival: “A feeling kept me underground / But I’m turning to the sunlight now / Was a little blip / Lost my mind / Working overtime / Dreaming of someday now.” And that’s, of course, where the album title comes from – as this very record is that day she was dreaming of.

Origin stories aside, Someday, Now is a endlessly pleasant listen, the perfect record to have repeat as the days shorten and the leaves turn. The songs may all blend together into a single shimmering soundscape at times, but it’s impossible to not bop along to the album’s cheerfulness, and as the light peers through, it’s bound to leave you with a smile.

Track Listing