Elizabeth and the Catapult at The Guest Apartment

On record, as in their latest Taller Children (Verve Forcast), Brooklyn trio Elizabeth and the Catapult are an inventive young pop group, coveting tales of equal woe and whimsy with irresistible charm, knee jerk spats of wit and wisdom, and plenty of gracious personality. They're a feel good listen, and a recent stay at the Guest Apartment proved one could rob them of some instruments, but not those crafty characteristics that accentuate their wondrous bits of pop.

One part Elizabeth (Elizabeth Ziman), one part Catapult (Pete Woodman), 2/3rds of the band stopped by for a four-song stay. "Race You" is a sprightly sprint to the finish, navigating a field of" ba ba bas", handclaps, and cheapo, Casio key tones (there's a story about this). "Complementary Me" employs an equal spirit and pace; a wicked whistler that throws breezy melodies and lickity split guitar work at you, with little let up. Then come the session's quieter numbers. "I Can Always Dream", an unsurprising lullaby, features enchanting vocals that flutter in a dreamlike ether. Finally, "Apathy" is a simple beauty of poignant melodies and a story of confusion, frustration, and fear. It's a captivating performance; one that showcases an incredible amount of style and various instrumental alignments as it plays through. - David Pitz

Elizabeth Ziman, who performs as Elizabeth and t he Catapult, is a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter from New York, living and working in Brooklyn. Shes toured with the likes of Sara Bareilles and Kishi Bashi; collaborated with with Esperanza Spalding, Gillian Welch, Blake Mills and Ben Folds; scored, with Paul Brill, a variety of international award-winning documentaries including Trapped, a Peabody winner; and won the 2015 Independent Music Award for Songwriting, Folk category. Her songs have been featured in national television campaigns for Google, Amazon, Sky TV, and So You Think You Can Dance.

Always writing, Elizabeth has narrowed her vast collection of previously unrecorded material down to her fourth full-length studio album KEEPSAKE, produced by Dan Molad (Lucius) and featuring collaborations with Richard Swift (The Shins). Her most personal and cohesive record yet, KEEPSAKE is about nostalgia and transformation, hope tempered with regretits a distillation of her experience with memories over time shaping her perspective on reality.