Catherine - Hot Saki & Bedtime Stories (1996)

“Hot Saki & Bedtime Stories” is the fourth and final studio album by American alternative rock band Catherine. It was released on September 17, 1996 through TVT Records. D'arcy Wretzky of The Smashing Pumpkins, drummer Kerry Brown's wife at the time, contributed vocals on the record.
The song "Four Leaf Clover" was released as a single, and another song, "Whisper," was contributed to the soundtrack of the film Scream.
The merry men from Chicago create an even more varied and generally successful package on Saki; the ghost of Corgan crunch yet lurks throughout, while his Pumpkins bandmate D'Arcy contributes vocals for "Four Leaf Clover," but Catherine is now fully its own concern, as the opening cut "Whisper" demonstrates. Sure, there's more than a little guitar pyrotechnics at points, but the brisk acoustic strums and whispered, T. Rex-ish vocals create more of a gentle summertime feeling, only slightly spiked. The big change is in fact who is singing those vocals, namely guitarist Mark Rew, taking over from the departing Jendon. From there on in, the group cuts a crisp, almost new wave feeling, in terms of tight, sharp performances if not necessarily obvious inspiration or sonic cloning. There's still plenty of charging fuzz but often employed in the surface of more direct hooks, as with "Don't Touch Me There." Rew maintains his vocal purr and sting throughout, exchanging the wistful bliss of the past for a slightly snottier feeling, to an extent. More than a few tracks show a gentle artiness to match the punchy beat on display elsewhere. "Milkshake" is a fine one, a combination of Cocteau Twins-touched electric guitar, soft piano, and lead acoustic lines, resulting in a gentle but still slightly edgy mood. The slight flamenco touches on "Make Me Smile" and the moody lope of "Sign of the Cross" are two other good examples, as is the soft/loud, melancholic (and amusingly titled) post-breakup number "Pink Floyd Poster." Rew comes up with some great zingers at points, thus, from, "It's Gonna Get Worse": "Count your friends, it won't take long, including yourself/You'll find you only have one."

Track listing

01. Whisper - 3:11  
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew
02. It's Gonna Get Worse - 3:33
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew  (Backing Vocals – Fever)
03. Cotton Candy High - 3:22 
      Written by - Kerry Brown and Rew
04. Milkshake - 3:39
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew
05. Four Leaf Clover - 3:31
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew  (Vocals – D'Arcy)
06. Vegas Glam - 3:21
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew  (Backing Vocals – Neil Jendon)
07. Punch Me Out - 3:19
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew  (Backing Vocals – D'Arcy)
08. Make Me Smile - 3:53  
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew
09. Blacklight - 4:38
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew
10. Don't Touch Me There - 3:44   
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew
11. Sign Of The Cross - 2:58
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew  (Backing Vocals – Chris Connelly)
12. The Angels - 3:50
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew
13. Pink Floyd Poster - 6:25    
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew
14. Good Luck Charm - 3:15
      Written-by - Keith Brown, Kerry Brown, and Mark Rew

Credits

Catherine
Keith Brown – bass guitar
Kerry Brown – drums
Mark Rew – vocals

Additional personnel
Jerome Brown – guitar
Chris Connelly – backing vocals
Fever – backing vocals and guitar
Neil Jendon – backing vocals, guitar, trombone
Marina Peterson – cello
Todd Tatnall – timpani
D'arcy Wretzky – vocals
Production
Steve Spapperi – mixing
Todd Tatnall – additional engineering
Engineer [Additional] – Chris Hayback, Todd (Gus) Tatnall
Mixed By – David Kahne, Jeff Lane, Kerry Brown, Steve Spapperi
Recorded By, Producer – Catherine

Notes
Recorded at: The Farm, Michigan.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Length: 52:55
Label: TVT Records

© 1996