Catherine Burke
Album: Exes, Losers And Other Men (Songs That Make My Dad's Eyes Roll)
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.cathburke.co.uk

Music and humour are a bit like oil and water, they rarely mix well. I think that's predominantly because both are very much a matter of personal taste and also because many people use them to fulfil a different part of their needs.

There have been exceptions to the general rule, Billy Connolly, Jasper Carrot and Bill Bailey, but all those really became better known acts once the music had been pushed down the bill in their routine or pretty much all the way out of it.

I guess Jake Thackray and maybe Richard Digance, were until recently the only artists that had carried of the witty and the rye with any real notability, but that's really changed with the emergence of Tim Minchin in recent years, which has shown there's a public acceptance for the genre, particularly if it comes with a fair amount of self depreciation.

The thing all those names have in common is that they're male, the only woman I can think of that delivers that slightly cheeky style is Carol Bayer Sager, so Catherine Burke has set herself a tough target with "Exes, Losers And Other Men (Songs That Make My Dad's Eyes Roll)"

Musically, this is a difficult album to fault Cath is a consummate multi-instrumentalist that's much in demand as a session player. In Benny Wain, Jules Bushel and Paddy Mathlin, she has drafted in a group of musicians to ensure that there is a real swing to the album. The sound is absolutely bang on and so it has to be said are the songs.

For an album like this, you need to be brutally honest or at the very least give the impression that you are, and if you can get away with that, frankly the world's your oyster. You've also got to personalise the songs, write them about someone else and you're a bitch, make them from your perspective and at least the audience will be on your side, even if your dad isn't

Against all the difficult criteria Catherine Burke definitely pulls it off. On the music alone this album would stand up in a barn dance pretty much anywhere, the songs are well written, they make good use of words and phrases. To my mind the album works as a whole because it feels honest and there's some real poignant heartfelt moments in there to provide a counterbalance.

"Exes, Losers And Other Men (Songs That Make My Dad's Eyes Roll)" is different to a lot of albums you're going to hear, give it a go, some of you will definitely be surprised.

Neil King