All the signs are in the firmament. It's time to observe a new sun rise. On this more tangible Earthbound level, beware of female songstresses with triple barralled names who reside in the Washington, D.C. area. Back in 1986, MC2 was picking up Wammies (Washington Area Music Awards) before she graduated to Grammies at the dawn of the nineties. Circa 1993, Vicky Pratt Keating entered the same college with her first Wammie.

Although she hails from the same acoustic contemporary folk baseline which spawned Chapin Carpenter, Keating employs a planet wide palette of instruments with which to paint the backdrop to her songs. Blue Apples is the first recording by Vicky to enjoy a CD release, and constitutes an opportunity to enter her world of verse for around forty five minutes. A self-titled, self-produced cassette preceded it, circa 1990. Her latest effort is ethereal, fey, obtuse, intelligent, divine, occasionally self-doubting and at turns self-confident and assertive. Truth to tell, Keating strides across the rainbow of life's emotions with the ease of a veteran.

Vicky Pratt Keating undertakes her debut UK tour in April / May. Considering that Blue Apples is self-released, there's a dual treat in store. See her in the flesh before one of the majors snaps her up and buy your copy of Blue Apples while you have the opportunity.