Catherine McQuade – Kiss Him Goodbye

With her new album, Kiss Him Goodbye, Catherine McQuade has not only stretched herself musically but has also made a leap in self confidence by taking on the production credits for much of the album.

Best known to Sydneysiders as the bass player for eighties band Deckchairs Overboard, McQuade later spent years in various Melbourne bands immersing herself in jazz, funk, electronica, Brazilian and Cuban music until last year’s album, Life is Elsewhere.

Kiss Him Goodbye expands on her early aural palette of big sounds and cinematic themes. Here, they are pushed even further to produce an eight track album of exquisite beauty exploring the gamut of the human relationships through the lens of Serge Gainsbourg, cut with the heavy, curling smoke from an unfiltered Gitane.

Showing her accomplishments as a musician, McQuade contributes vocals, bass, keyboards, percussion and guitar, assisted by some of Australia’s best musicians including Jim Moginie, vocalists Pat Powell and Terry Serio, plus Deckchairs’ alumni John Clifforth and Ken Campbell.

The Morricone inspired opening and title track, “Kiss Him Goodbye”, complete with Patrick Cronin’s whistling, sets the tone for the album’s sweeping cinematic references.

Nowhere on the album is this more prominent than on “Control”, seemingly inspired by the lush and melodic John Barry scores of the James Bond film from the sixties and seventies.

With its seventies disco beat and chop style guitar, “Take Me to the Moon” could be a flashback to an imaginary night where Gloria Gaynor and Debby Harry meet up with Chic and Giorgio Moroder in a Paris club.

This track alone is worthy a a 12-inch vinyl single.

Embellishing McQuade’s multi instrumental input are TCB’s cello, Michael Davis, drums, Daniel Waldron, oboe and Craig Miller, percussion, with mixing by McQuade or Colin Wynne.

The Kiss Him Goodbye CD includes four bonus tracks from last year’s Life is Elsewhere.

catherinemcquade.bandcamp.com