KTB "Indelible Ink" (Independent, 2009)

KTB’s folk from Birmingham, not Alabama

This is KTB's (aka Katy Bennett) third record, following her well received debut in 2005. Katy’s muse is English folk based with minimal arrangements of guitars, strings, harp, brass & various other kitchen sink objects. The songs dip into the human condition of sorrow, love, hope and friendship. Fortunately it manages to avoid some folk clichés and even more important seems to have been influenced by the likes of Sandy Denny as opposed to Katy M!

It’s a very quiet record, ideal for Sunday mornings, Katy is a talented song writer & singer, clearly demonstrated on the epic ‘Back From The Deep’ lasting almost six minutes it is one of strongest songs here. Elsewhere Katy’s ability to write succinct love songs can be heard on the sublime ‘Smile Again’.

The stand out song here can be found later into the record, ‘River Runs Through Us’ where Katy manages to describes a recent flood in Middle England, lyrically superb in a few lines Katy manages to paint a picture of the desolation after the river runs through us – ‘Morning after, the mocking sun laughs on, House still standing, but the soul is gone, Clear the debris, clean out our lives, A thread of hope hangs from your battered coat, a sliver line’. A highlight of what is a fine record.

There are a host of other musicians on board here, produced by Phil Ward in ‘various houses in Moseley, Birmingham’ Katy managed to convert an anti folkie with her lovely voice, evocative lyrics & varied arrangements.

Date review added:  Sunday, June 14, 2009
Reviewer:  andy riggs
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  http://www.ktb.org.uk