This Is The Kit review: A thrilling dose of new folk

Burak Cingi/Redferns
Elizabeth Aubrey26 January 2018

Kate Stables, AKA This Is The Kit, brought warmth and poetry to a chilly Burns Night at Shepherd’s Bush Empire last night.

“I hope it warms up soon,” she said. “Thank you for this warm welcome — my numb hands are starting to feel!” The welcome was certainly deserved; after the success of her latest album, Moonshine Freeze, Stables has emerged as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary folk — and with good reason.

Stables’s lyrical themes are often dark and poetically profound. The juxtaposition of that darkness with the soaring lightness of her voice on openers Easy on the Thieves, Silver John and Bullet Proof was fascinating to witness.

She employed more traditional elements of folk in her lone banjo or guitar fingerpicking, but also showed off her unique take on the contemporary side with a combination of guitar, percussion and brass. The result was a layered, folk-psychedelia sound, heard on Moonshine Freeze, Waterproof and Magic Spell.

The biggest London gigs to book in 2018

1/12

Stables talked often to her audience on topics far and wide. From her love of REM to her devastation at the loss of Mark E Smith and Ursula K Le Guin, her conversation made her an endearing, relatable presence all evening. Combined with her songwriting and vocal talents, Stables is one of the most thrilling folk acts around.

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