Lucy Kitt is
an Essex-based singer-songwriter who successfully finds the acoustic groove and
sweet spot on this, her debut full-length album. Honing in on a classic country
folk sound, brevity and simplicity are key drivers as she guides the listener
through half an hour of diligently constructed engaging songs. Comparisons drawn
from the golden age of West Coast folk rock music spring out from not just the
basic sound but the profile and self-projected image panning out from the album
cover. You feel you know what is going to transpire before the first track plays
and STAND BY duly lives up to expectation on a number of fronts.
All ten
tracks forming this album originate from the pen of Lucy and pose the standard
musings that you have come to expect from songwriters digging deep into their
inner self to extract the art of song. Like so many of her ilk, these songs are
likely to come more to life in a live format where artist interpretation and
inspiration forms an integral part of the show. It is likely that Lucy has
played many gigs since she first picked up a guitar a few years ago and the
boost of now having a significant record available for folks to take home will
only reap positive rewards.
The
challenge any acoustic record has is muscling in on your personal listening
time when the intense competition of a wide world at your fingertips can crowd
it out. There is a slow burning element to this album completely taking hold,
but ever-escalating maturity embeds the strong appeal that draws from the succinct
vibes. Perhaps the inclusion of a song with a killer chorus or melody could
have provided greater impetus in enhancing its impact. However, not decrying
what an album could have been and complimenting the positives carries this
record over the line and one firmly placed in the credit column.
Four tracks worthy of a mention include rhythmic opener, and title piece, ‘Stand By’, which blends into the superb subsequent number ‘Said and Done' and stakes are raised a little later in the forceful song ‘Devil’s Luck’. The pinnacle moment on the record occurs deep in the second half when Lucy twists the notion of ‘Little Country Song’ to fire back a response.
From first chord to last, Lucy Kitt throws her heart and soul into STAND BY and relays proof that a condensed sound can evolve into a strong and commendable product when the right adjustments are applied. Touring the socks off this record, if practical, will provide extra sustainability, allowing it to resonate with country, folk, Americana and general acoustic music fans far from her South East base. This is an album worth taking a punt on if you get your kicks from music of this persuasion. Lucy Kitt has obliged with a fine record to keep the wheels of an iconic style rolling