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"If Alanis Morrisette was a bit left of normal, I'd say that Cathy-Ann is operating in a distant nebula that can't be seen by NASA-grade telescopes. Cathy-Ann's music has a distinctly pop sound, but it's clearly not pop. If you've ever tried listening to your average girl-singer pop CD (Avril Lavigne, Alanis, et al), you'll note that the songs within a CD tend to sound alike. This is because a high-paid team of scientific engineers put their efforts into designing a couple of hits and a slew of inoffensive and unremarkable filler songs. With Honey Wagon, you get a collection of songs that is purely Cathy-Ann.

Cathy-Ann is an excellent acoustic guitar player and vocalist. This CD was recorded while she played and sang at the same time, so it has an energetic live feel. Her vocal delivery ranges from sweet pop-oriented styles to angry rock and odd vocal experimentations. It took me a few listens to adjust to her singing style because she has an unorthodox approach to vocalizing. She has unusual confidence for a debut album, and she's not afraid to try all kinds of phrasings and combinations of sounds and words to make very memorable and individualized music.

Her ability to let-go vocally is equally present in her lyrics. Cathy-Ann, apparently, likes to shake things up. "Musical Prostitute" and "Hollywood" lambaste the entertainment industries with clever lyrics that are fairly explicit (though not in terms of cussing). "Duraselove" is a completely shameless ode to her vibrator. I can safely say that I'd be a little wary of meeting Cathy-Ann, but she sure gets points for honesty and fearlessness. "The Flame" is one of my favorite songs, featuring a flamenco-styled rhythm and solo, with catchy vocal melodies and a high-energy rock sound. "Nothing" is a slightly bluesy piece, with a walking bass rhythm and an atypical blues-meets-pop feeling.

To put it simply, Cathy-Ann knows what she wants to say, how she wants to say it, and she's willing to do what it takes to get her message out. It's a testament to her sincerity that she passed up a record contract, and the sacrifices that came with it, in favor of putting this CD out by herself. Honey Wagon is produced by the inimitable Bumblefoot, so the production is eminently full and captivating. The music has a very lively tone, but with the kind of clarity you wouldn't get from a live recording. If you've got any taste for intelligent pop, or heck, even if you don't, give Cathy-Ann a listen."-Eric Rasmussen