Fearless – Kat Perkins (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Normally any mention of a TV show such as The Voice in connection with an artist and the record moves quickly from the “to do” pile to the “get that out of here” pile, a loose collection of battered CDs and white labels that have ricocheted off of the office walls and ended up in the stationary cupboard. Kat Perkins however has something to back up her more recent popularity. Before being encouraged to return to the music fray she had previously fronted Scarlet Haze and Northern Comfort and worked with members of Guns ‘n’ Roses and Nine Inch Nails, so the providence was already there before becoming The Voice’s girl of the moment.

If Fearless is the song that has real mainstream potential, existing as it does in a place cool enough for the serious rock fraternity and accessible enough for the chart aficionados, it is the inclusion of a cover of Hearts early classic, Barracuda, that really speaks volumes. Anyone who can not only capture that early Ann Wilson vocal but at the same time make the song their own is someone that you have to take notice of. Also of note is the bonus version of the lead track, this time rendered into a string-washed, melancholy take on the song and in many ways more revealing as to what a powerful song it actually is.

Using her new-found status to not only rekindle a music career but to recognise potential in children via her Dream It. Do It, schools program, you can’t but help wish all artists following the TV route would take a leaf out of her book. For whilst they are staggering out of night clubs before their publicists well primed paparazzi or making the headlines through orchestrated celebrity spats on social media, Kat Perkins is putting her efforts into encouraging youngsters to follow their own dreams and to have a positive impact on the world. Now that is what I call fearless.