Never quite as appreciated in the United States as they deserved to be, Australia's
Something for Kate create a stirring and emotional post-grunge pinnacle with
Echolalia. Sure, some of the songs ("Monsters" for example) veer dangerously close to
Goo Goo Dolls sentimentality, but this detailed and moody record is incendiary in its ability to meld melancholy lyrics with sparkling pop.
Eddie Vedder is the clearest reference for the vocals on tracks like the rousing "Old Pictures," and the aggressive and propulsive "Say Something" (though this cut conjures
Waxwing as well), but the music draws from sources as varied as Australia's famous power popsters
You Am I ("Happy Endings") and
Pink Floyd (the atmospheric "Manmade Horse").
Echolalia is a varied and powerful record with nary a weak song. It might not be as raucous or rocking as
Pearl Jam or
Nirvana, but
Something for Kate masterfully draw from those bands while adding a pop complexity and grandiosity.