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Favourite Girl - Favourite Girl

Katy Vernon is someone we've known since the start of Cool Cat Ukes, she's a brit who emigrated to the USA and is well known in the ukulele scene and her now home town of Minnesota.

She's a big fan of ABBA and performs as a tribute band there, but Favourite Girl is her new five piece band playing original music - written by Katy herself. Katy is joined by Allie, Daisy, Alyse & Paul. This is a classic pop band - electric guitar, bass, drums, vocals and a subtle trumpet - more on that later.

From the album cover, I quote: "This self-titled, full length debut is the sound of empowerment! From the bold and brash to the sweetly vulnerable. There is a thread of feminine resilience throughout the record.". I'll let that speak for itself!

I received a physical CD, the album is also available to download of course, but with it came a hand-made booklet called a 'lyriczine' on green paper that has a proper personal feel to it. Designed by Katy's daughter, it contains the lyrics to the songs, other notes and is a brilliant personal touch. The way it's put together is like the old cut/paste/photocopy we'd do in the early eighties and is just charming. And now we are older, it serves the purpose that old school vinyl album covers did with something larger to read than small squinty inserts you sometimes get in CDs. Top marks!

The album cover instantly gave me Blondie "Parallel Lines" vibes - is this what is to come in the music?

The first track "Thank You" starts with a vinyl needle crackle, simple strums on a ukulele and Katy singing but then - BOOM! in comes the band and yes, there is more than a hint of the Debbie Harry sound and attitude. But, I won't explain more as that might be mansplaining...

Track 2 starts with a distorted guitar - reminiscent of track 2 on "Parallel Lines" - "One Way Or Another", but I'll stop the Blondie comparisons now.

There's subtle trumpet accents throughout the album - not overpowering, also with a few solos. I'll tell you a story - one of my first open mics using a keyboard, taking all of my concentration, this guy came up and said "do you want some subtle trumpet backing?". "OK" I said. What a mistake. I was trying to perform this song, a song with meaning (with the writer of the song in the room), this guy was blasting away making it all about him while I was trying to do the song justice with feeling. So, excuse me if I'm wary of a trumpet, but Paul, you are not that guy! You're welcome any time.

"Back Up Plan" starts with some great harmonies, ironically a song about independence, nice phasing effects at the end too. On that subject, there are other effects used on various tracks (I really love the distorted wah on "Shine" - I WANT that!) but none are over used, you kind of wouldn't notice them unless you listen to pick them out as I do, good effects should be like that.

The track order is good, a note - please listen to albums in their completeness. Artists take great care with the track orders for the feel of an album and deserve respect for that. I like the way that the bass line carries over from "Getting Better" to "Favourite Girl".

Production overall is clean, with clear vocals and no ambiguity. Instruments are well balanced throughout - the emphasis is on the songs. You know, this really is hardly a ukulele album, but many of the ukulele artists we call friends move on to other things - but they will always have that link back to the uke.

Overall, this album isn't just a collection of songs, it's feeling, attitude and with the 'lyriczine', an experience for the listener. I love it.

The album's classed as 'Pop', but I'd call it '80s Pop Rock'. That's a good thing in my book. Brilliant. The final touch is Katy hasn't yielded to the American spelling. It's "Favourite Girl". With a U. An extra point for that.

Find the album over at www.favouritegirl.com.

11 tracks, 35 minutes.

Review - Simon Taylor, 21st September 2026