The Urge Overkill story is one of just that - overkill. The group, lauded as the up and coming rock band of the 90s fell short, projecting lofty opinions of themselves while never reaching the superstar ranks of the Stone Temple Pilots or Nirvana Still, the Chicago-based group fell prey to the sometimes less-than-healthy rockstar lifestyle, and the group disappeared from the scene in the mid 90s after drummer Blackie Onassis was arrested for drug possession. What does that have to do with Nash Kato? Kato was Urge Overkill, or at least a vocal third of it. In 1999, Kato set out on a solo career, releasing Debuante in the spring of 2000 on Stone Gossard's (of Pearl Jam fame) Loosegroove label.
"I'm able to indulge myself more musically, mainly with regard to my arrangement," says Kato. "I never felt allowed to fully explore the dynamic possibilities of my Urge Overkill material, which was a great source of frustration for me as a songwriter. Now I can live out my rock and roll fantasy as composer."
Does he succeed? Kato's new tunes are without the signature darkness of Urge Overkill's Exit the Dragon CD, encompassing a more reflective, mature lyric and sound base. It's glossed up pop rock, and it kind of works. The12 tracks on Debutante (one of which is an incredibly well-crafted cover of Steely Dan's "Dirty Work)" range from the decent to the "yeah that's our boy" type. "Los Angelena" sounds remarkably similar to Elvis Costello's "Allison;" not quite rock, overly present female back-up vocalists (if you like that sort of thing) and that vocal quality where Kato sounds as if he's singing about loneliness with a big, laid back grin on his face. The Rolling Stones-inspired title track is much more successful than preceding tracks, which seem to promise a sound that doesn't come.
Interestingly enough, all the songs were co-written by Kato, with none other than the infamous Onassis. Though some may speculate that Kato can't hack it without a little help from his friends, there's only one way to find out: give him a listen, catch him live and draw your own conclusion.
For more information, visit their website: http://www.urgeoverkill.com/NashKato/
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