Kit Holmes
"Catch The Echo"
by Johanna J. Bodde
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KIT HOLMES
"Catch The Echo" (Silent Pocket Records) Some artists have massive amounts of information
available about themselves. Lengthy bios, detailed tour diaries, every aspect of
their musical and personal life can be found on their MySpace. British talent
Kit Holmes (not to be confused with the American Kit Holmes!) isn't one of those
artists. Her debut CD "Seeing You" arrived out of nowhere a few years back and I
still don't know much about her. It isn't really necessary. After all, this
is about her MUSIC. And besides, I like a little bit of mystery!
The latest news came in a few days ago from her
representative: "Kit has just been invited to play for the
prestigious Anne Frank Awards, 16th July, at the BBC Radio Theatre, Broadcasting
House, London. The event includes some of the top names in TV Sport, Comedy,
Acting and Music." That made me decide to write an item, I hesitated before, as
a non-player I can't possibly do justice to her incredible guitarplaying here.
But I can recommend her music, right?
The lay-out of this CD is in white, yellow and
blue. A modern looking packaging, a museum of modern art kinda thing. Platinum
blonde Kit looks like a nice, funny personality in the pictures. All the info is
featured in the booklet, Kit sings and plays guitars and strings. Allan
Greenwood (guitars and keys) wrote all the material and produced the album.
Which info can only be found in the small print... (The man in a genius!) Pat
Illingworth is the drummer, while the great Danny Thompson plays his double bass
on three tracks.
The album "Catch The Echo" unfolds with short
instrumental "Shapes In The Sand", it fades in and out again. The title says
enough: I love music that rolls over me like waves... "Happen Twice", sturdy
uptempo acoustic rock, features Kit's vocals in a reflection on love & life.
And a remarkable voice it is! Comparisons try names like Beth Orton, Macy Gray,
Cyndi Lauper, even Jewel and Janis Joplin. But it's sultry, hypnotic, breathy,
relaxed, seductive and sophisticated. It's Kit's distinctive voice! "It's Over"
got a stunningly beautiful arrangement, this is one of my favorites on the
album. Listening to the person you still love on an answering machine: "Is that
the only way I can hear you? / You took me from a world that I knew / And left
me lost in a love without you." The emotion gives me goosebumps! Danny Thompson
does his virtuoso thing, Kit's vocal sounds slightly jazzy here, she even sings
her own harmonies and the end is great too: "You said it's over / But that
doesn't mean / I can't still love you..." "No You No Me" is the ultimate sultry
& seductive song with strings. And with Danny Thompson's playing. "Close the
curtains, lock the door / Let's pretend we don't live here anymore / Turn the
lights down, lay by my side / Shut out the world, in the darkness we can hide /
Let the phone ring its melody / Without an answer there's no you no me." For
some reason it makes me think of Linda Ronstadt singing Dylan's "I'll Be Your
Baby Tonight", this is new and different but just as good! Let's not forget that
Kit is a guitarplayer extra-ordinaire... "My Sweet Blues" is a gorgeous
instrumental piece. Kit plays in this 'rolling' technique that always wins me
over, although I know much less about guitar playing than I would like to know!
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 If it were still an LP, the B-side would kick
off with "Thinking About You". Full band set-up, uptempo, pop & rock
influences. More wonderful guitar and here's the Macy Gray likeness. Cool
lyrics: "I don't want you to think that I don't think about you / I don't want
you to think that I don't care / Just because I don't say it out loud all the
time / Don't mean that it ain't there." Moody "Who Says" starts and ends on a
feedback soundeffect, this is the third song Danny plays on. I like this
observation: "What makes some days seem to last forever / While others pass by
without even a plan." Another instrumental composition, "Before You Came". Kit
started playing guitar when she was eleven and is a fan of Leo Kottke's music, a
few of the facts I could figure out. "Said And Done" is my other favorite with
vocals, yet another magnificent arrangement, the song is catchy and rather
uptempo. "And when there's no pain between us left / And nothing else to lose
except the love that we once shared." I just love the ending in a questionmark.
"Catch The Echo" is a long instrumental (title) track, starting off with a
percussion thing... Heck, even the guitar is doing some sort of percussion! And
it has an echo indeed. This is just Kit's guitar, but it sounds like more
guitarists are in the studio, ghost guitarists. The instrumental pieces are
definitely not the type of fillers found on some other albums, they are just as
good as the songs with vocals, maybe the real guitar enthusiasts think they're
even better! "Too Far Away From" closes off, yet another interesting composition
and number eleven also hides a hidden track: that's "Shapes In The Sand" again.
It's such a great find to do this and close the circle!
I'm a fan. I love this album. The virtuoso
playing as well as the vocal. Although there's not that much of a simularity,
Kit always reminds me of the young Marianne Faithful, or better the feeling that
Marianne's music always gave me. I don't think Kit will mind my comparison with
a young, mysterious Marianne...
Also recommended: "Seeing You", recorded in
2004 with the same line-up. Besides original work, it features two traditionals.
There are also CD-singles: "No You No Me" / "Before You Came" and "It's Over",
featuring two tracks off the first album "Seeing You" and a live version of
"Gow's Lament".
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Written by Johanna J. Bodde, June
2008.
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