For folk records the sonic detail can be a defining factor. Sometimes artists like to add in all sorts of background noise to add another layer to the acoustic instrumentation whereas others prefer to let the interest lie in the tiny noises like a bum note being hit during the song or the sound of traffic outside in the distance. Kate Stables (aka This Is The Kit) has a good few of each of these kind of moments scattered around album Wriggle Out The Restless but what enriches the songs is the pleasant and smoothly lush instrumentation that backs her up while she plays guitar or banjo.
All the instrumentation is there in plain view but the way some of it comes into the picture can be a surprise such as the resonating piano chords on “The Turnip” or the calming horn section that comes after the minor builds of “See Here.” Subtlety needn’t be so prevalent here as these songs sound like tunes that matured over years like fine wines from the cellar waiting to be drunk in the sunset of a beautiful evening. “Easy Pickings” sounds like an old folk song brought into the present with it combination of hearty banjo plucks and airy wordless choruses while “Trick You” sounds like friends sitting around each other in the garden playing together as the night draws in, much like the lyrics suggest: “It’s late you see/ it’s late for thee.”
As warm and easy to the ear a Stables’ voice is an album consisting entirely of just these fleshed out folk songs would likely have become tiring and mundane a lot more easily. That makes the few “bigger” numbers all the more welcome. But Stables doesn’t really do “big.” On “See Here” she cuts herself off just as she starts building momentum but the earlier mentioned soothing horn sections act as an effective juxtaposition between the two sections and indeed between the electric and traditional styles. On highlight “Earthquake” she seems much more comfortable with her surroundings sounding like she’s riding the tremors of the earthquake like waves in the ocean. Again the instrumentation shines with a riff that keeps the pace steady while her rising “ooo’s” add to the image of her getting into the jam. The shaker that appears every few bars amidst the paced percussion makes for the sonic highlight. On album closer “Moon” it almost sounds like she’s offering a riff to the listener but it turns out to be a minor part of the song that instead places its emphasis on the chiming chorus.
And when she turns the expected into something a little different it becomes more frustrating than interesting. Fair play for taking a different slightly more scenic route but when the likes of “The Turnip” begins with its bouncy banjo you expect some jaunty ho-down but instead get something still pleasant but somewhat lacklustre. Stables also seems to trip up on her lyrics sacrificing detail for wordplay. Sometimes it works and comes off as clever as it is such as on “See Here” but too often it’s too vague to take any meaning from or to stick in your head. On the gratingly precious “Sleeping Bag” her style catches up with her as she inverts one too many sentences to end with “you” making it sound like primary school poetry.
But at least Stables has her instrumentation to back her up and this is where the consistency of the album lies: while some songs might verge on occasionally uninteresting or mildly forgettable they help themselves out of the deep water with the help of mellow and considered mix of violins, brass and drums. And it’s reassuring to know that she’s also not afraid to plug her guitar into an amp and raise the bar, even slightly. Let’s just hope next time she does she doesn’t show so much restraint and let’s herself loosen up more in the studio. I mean it’s not like anyone’s going to kill you if you hit a bum note, especially if you’re a folk singer. In the end it just adds to the sonic detail.
