Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
Damian Robinson gets lost in the bouncy, poppy delights and dreamy folk of This Is The Kit
Image by Thomas Jackson
Walking on for dead on nine, Kate Stables, the alias of (and front person for) This Is The Kit is nothing if not punctual. As part of a five-piece line-up tonight (three guitars, one bass, one drums) and performing to a very busy Pop Recs, Stables leads the respected act through close to a 90 minute set. With the focus on dreamy folk-style lyrics, and set to lush arpeggiated guitars and gorgeously stacked harmonic vocals (combine Fleet Foxes with the gentler moments of CSNY) it’s both the musicality and the harmonies that shine brightest tonight.
Opener This Is When The Sky Gets Big sets an early standard of performance, with Scabby Head And Legs and Inside Outside following in short succession and also standing out due to their combination of vocals and musical care. Though it’s Stables who naturally picks up the most attention due to her stage presence and charisma, tonight’s show belongs to bassist Rozi Plain whose bouncy and poppy basslines become central to each song and both ground and fly the melodies of the various tracks into appropriate musical nests.
Given the evening’s mixture of heat and cold, and the creeping in of dark nights and autumnal weather, tonight’s set list feels perfect for end of the summer/start of autumn moods – there’s a natural warmth and cosiness to their lush vocals mixed well with a gentle hint of melancholy. Given this was as close to a sell out as you can get, my advice would be to get in early next time they come back.
