Kit
Album: Echoes Of The Past
Label: Kitmusic
Tracks: 9
Website: http://www.kitmusic.co.uk/

Kit is the pseudonym under which Midlands-based singer-songwriter Amanda Hopkins performs, and Echoes Of The Past is her third album of self-penned material, once again with trusted producer Paul Sampson at the helm. Paul also plays all the instruments (guitars, keyboards, and presumably also bass and drums) that accompany Amanda's own feisty, rhythm-driven acoustic guitar, creating an infectious and well-coordinated pop-tinged overall sound that pleases with its accessibility, a plethora of catchy hooks and some at times quite luscious vocal harmonies.

All but one of the nine songs were written very recently (the exception being 2010's Running Under Bridges, which was composed for The Reform Club's short film Canalbert). Kit's songwriting is even more confident than on her previous albums (themselves pretty convincing!), and although no radically new themes are tackled on this latest batch of songs it's hard to feel shortchanged (except perhaps by the surprisingly meagre half-hour's playing time of the disc as a whole). Several of the songs express or explore issues of identity (Clarify, Sonata), a helpless and unavoidable response to change (Seventeen and the title track), or a deep-seated fear, either of commitment (Aardvark) or of being ignored (Lost In The Crowd). In terms of delivery especially, Kit's music has been compared to that of Hazel O'Connor, and yet while there's an element of truth in that observation (providing a close reference point) it also always gives an impression of something more substantial beneath the surface, an impression which further acquaintance invariably rewards.

The prevailing idiom is of twangy acoustic folk-rock, a touch of the Kennedys perhaps with a dash of country here and there, and this suits the personal nature of Kit's lyrics surprisingly well, reflecting rather than submerging the truths and emotional depths therein. Echoes Of The Past is a persuasive collection that should bring Kit's name well under the radar of those who appreciate artful and perceptive songwriting that gives a powerful kick.

David Kidman