With a whopping 21 eggs in this basket, Kailan McGee’s “The Songstress Empire” gives the listener over an hour of this woman’s personal journey. The album was released on January 10, 2025.

Here’s a preview of the first four tracks:

“Just Like That”, drives you on a mental road trip that drives you away until the wee hours of the morning and beyond. The song is pure escapism at its finest.

Kaitlin slips into a bluesy and pensive mood with “I know I’ll hit the ground.” This song gives you permission to fall down during trying times.

 “Blood is cheaper than wine”, is a harsh look at the people who should love you, but decide for some reason they are not fully connected. These people use manipulation tactics to get their way.

Finally, in a track filled with fantasy folk music of another realm, she opens up your imagination with a grand opening and dives right into her whispered secrets with, “Gave it All”.

So there you have it, four powerful songs to start off this incredible journey that may shed light on your personal experiences. Kailan has a way of talking to you one-on-one and connect with the audience who is going through similar things.

Production

Sonically, the production is lush, warm, and wistful. These dreamy songs get inside your soul, lifting you to be a better person in this world by grasping at deeper meanings. Could this mean a young Kailan has already become a teacher?

Every song comes off as cordial and sometimes profound. She has a heart-to-heart with each of her subject matters. Her sense of self is grounded and has an aversion to over-inflated egos that try to take up her space. Kailan needs a lot of space just to be and create.

Her sound may have a youthful energy, but her intention comes from a place of maturity. To make a quick comparison, it feels like Loreena McKennitt trying to break out of Lily Frost’s body.

Kailan blends perfectly the energy of Pop, Country and World folk music. With the help of Kevin Comeau as the producer and occasionally on guitar, his skills lend nicely to her overall sound. (You can’t tell this is the same guitar player in the Rock duo, Crown Lands.)

Remarkably, while there are songs of anger and disappointment, her intention is not to lash out. She keeps things under control, just shining from the dark, light back in your face. It simply lets her light shine brighter, and that is the intention of singing these songs.

Final Clucks

As far as eggs go, I would say this is one of the best omelets on the menu. You should order one for yourself. Heck, this could be better than any Crown Lands album out there… *wink wink*

I really loved her song, “Haven’t Got That Far” (maybe it’s my short legs as a literal chicken). Personally, I felt the song, “Nothing Left In Your Soul”. I am dealing with a cock that never stops crowing at my expense. Helping with my personal growth, I feel a little bigger when I listen to, “Stick it out”.

You can find Kailan McGee’s album, “The Songstress’ Empire on Spotify, or purchase it directly from her Bandcamp.

Want more cool music? Check out my last review: Spectra album – Places We Only Dream Of.