Rating: 5/5
Review:
A terrific album
I think this is a terrific album. I tried it because I enjoyed Laylam so much, but had little idea what to expect from Kate In The kettle. What I got was an innovative musical treat which is varied, unusual and very enjoyable.
Kate Young is a very fine musician. Her violin playing is quite remarkable in places; she is capable of real virtuosic pyrotechnics but also has a wonderful, subtle touch where necessary, with superb precision and technical control throughout. She uses all of that here in a terrific programme based in traditional UK and Scandinavian music and featuring some original compositions, too. There is a recognisable traditional fiddle sound much of the time and some very good singing, often combined with unusual instrumentation like Indian tabla and some extraordinary rhythmic effects. It's a really successful fusion which I find irresistible - in much the same way as I did with Imagined Village's first album. There's also some more conventional folk music (all very well done) and some jazzy influences in places - I heard echoes of Pentangle in Push and Spark and other places, which to me is a very good thing indeed.
My advice is to give this a try. It's a very enjoyable and musically rewarding album. I'm delighted to have discovered it and I can recommend it very warmly indeed.
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