Katie Gavin's debut album What A Relief taps into the unguarded self-possession and‬ homespun pop sensibility of singers like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco, and‬ uses their tenacity as a north star for Gavin’s own trek towards self-discovery. “This record‬ spans a lot of my life – it’s about having a really deep desire for connection, but also‬ encountering all the obstacles that stood in my way to be able to achieve that, patterns of‬ isolation or even boredom with the real work of love” they say.‬ Written over the course of seven years, What A Relief comprises a set of songs that Gavin‬ always loved but which “had something in them” that she and her bandmates felt didn’t quite fit‬ within the universe they were trying to cultivate with MUNA. Many of them were written on‬ acoustic guitar, and are rooted in “a style of music that’s very much in my blood, and natural for‬ me,” as typified by the Women & Songs CDs that Gavin loves, which compiled music by artists‬ like Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan.‬ That openness of spirit is the overwhelming character of What A Relief, an album that’s‬ refreshing in its willingness to accept people as they come, even as it remains in dogged pursuit‬ of a life that’s kinder, wiser and more loving. Gavin’s explorations of desire and intimacy feel‬ time-worn and necessary – songs that might teach a generation if not how to live, exactly, then‬ at least how to look within oneself for guidance about how to move forward.‬