The Lunar Year Explores the Cycle of Rebirth on Katie Bird LP

Katie Hackett of The Lunar Year

By Emily Herbein

Katie Hackett of The Lunar Year has been sitting on this delicately breathtaking LP, katie bird, for quite some time before releasing it with yesterday’s Bandcamp Friday. Their track “Mysterium” was recently seen on The Philly Holiday Album’s Valentine’s Day compilation, Philly Loves You, and The Lunar Year’s soft soprano vocal trills and intricately layered production efforts are only further emphasized with this new (old) LP.

Sitting at nine tracks total, katie bird as a whole focuses on the process of rebirth, coming into your own skin, and feeling at home there. The concept of recognizing your own flaws and accepting them rather than fighting them ebbs and flows in between several of these songs. It’s a deeply introspective work, with these hard-pills-to-swallow lyrics paired with shimmering soundscapes that expertly balance out the light and the dark. Earnest piano runs, stacked vocal harmonies, synthetic lines that tie verses to choruses — those levels of production are thanks to Philly’s Matt Poirer and Ryan Schwabe.

Hackett reminds me so much of Katie Crutchfield’s Waxahatchee project and Selima Taibi’s Mogli. There’s an undeniable strength in the delicacy behind her voice, and it’s found in the bravery to bear these intimate moments penned in her lyrics rather than the power that she puts into her vocals. There are so many stand-out tracks on katie bird for me, but “morning song” and “heel” really drive this album home. They’re piano-based and quietly anthemic in a way that makes them the most powerful tracks in my opinion. “heel” closes out the album with this incredibly impactful line: “I’m a little fucked up but I think I’ll be alright if I can only reconcile that I’m nothing at all,” and I think that best summarizes the point that’s been made with katie bird.

Life is so fucking messy.

But it’s also so, so beautiful, and nothing is ever as heavy as you think it is.

Hackett has done us a service by being so effortlessly candid with this release. That’s hard, especially when the subject of your art is based around your own experiences, perceptions, and mental health. It’s also the greatest gift you can someone else. To honestly share parts of your soul and expect nothing in return. I encourage you to listen to these songs and pay that selflessness forward. This is one of the most beautiful albums I’ve had the joy of listening to in a long time.

You can download katie bird here, and watch the video for “this blue upon your absence” below.