Radios and Rainbows by Kate Pierson

Kate Pierson
Radios and Rainbows
Independent

Kate Pierson finally gets her glow up moment. A strong powerhouse and an inspiration to so many, it took until now for Pierson to respectfully wait to get out of the spotlight with The B-52s and release a collection of savory songs built to uplift and shine despite life’s uncertainties.

With Radios and Rainbows, we see all sides of Pierson’s passion. From the City Pop and disco dance shimmer of “Take Me Back to the Party” to the dark noir pop of “Evil Love” and the ‘60s girl group sounds of “Pillow Queen,” this album is everything you want out of this iconic singer-songwriter.

And her voice! Age is merely a perception because Pierson’s voice is as powerful, elegant and elaborate as ever. We know production can do a lot of great things to an artist, but this album is evident that talent outweighs production and studio trickery is simply not needed. There is such an openness that dominates these songs and an identity that stretches further than the times when she collaborated with stars like Iggy Pop and Michael Stipe. You can still feel that momentum today.

Each song points to a burst of positivity that uses words as color to paint a palette of imagineering ecstasy. A song like “The Beauty of It All,” stems from the vibrancy and endearment of her moment with “Juliet of the Spirits” from The B-52s album Funplex and floats away like a cloud. Even with the collaboration with Sia on “Everyday is Halloween,” there’s a feeling of wonder and intrigue, like a ride in Magic Kingdom. If I had to define happiness through wonder, that would be it.

Radios and Rainbows cannot escape the 1980s for good measure. Pierson has been engrained into the New Wave lexicon. There is still that party element and freewheeling good times, even when realism is an abstraction. It’s a wonderful album and a standout moment that has been worth the wait.