Having spent her early career distilling the disparate elements of Caribbean, Appalachian and Francophone folk music over her first three full-length albums, Montreal artist Kaïa Kater focused on reinvention and experimentation for her latest release, 2024’s Strange Medicine.

While Kater’s banjo continues to anchor her songs, Kater and Strange Medicine co-producer Joe Grass (Elisapie, Barr Brothers) experimented with a varied sonic palette of strings and horns, giving the record an orchestral and cinematic feel while the percussive instrumentation and off-kilter grooves offer an esoteric jazz-influence. Also featuring collaborations from contemporaries and luminaries Allison Russell, Taj Mahal and Aoife O’ Donovan, Kater’s Strange Medicine reflects the struggles of women and oppressed people through history, with deep meditations on her own life and her place in these stories.

With a Juno nomination and a Polaris Prize long list on her list of accomplishments, Kaïa Kater is taking bold steps musically, building on her roots while embracing a galaxy of sonic possibilities, all the while maintaining a focus on the historic arc of justice for all.

- Mike Dunn