'A wonderfully bright and highly original debut'. - Sid Smith, BBC Music.
The Kittiwakes are Kate Denny on vocals and violin, Chris Harrison on accordion and Jill Cumberbatch on violin, mandolin, and guitar. Their debut album, Lofoten Calling, is that rarest of breeds; a folk concept album. Unlike a lot of concept albums, Lofoten Calling is concise and never feels like the music is being restricted by, or bogged down amidst the themes. Instead, the stories being spun here add a poignancy and humanity to the proceedings, and the emotive music (which is set firmly in the traditional style) provides the perfect foil. The concept of the album is based on the people, wildlife, landscape and folklore of the Lofoten Islands, the north western archipelago in arctic Norway. Bathed by the gulf stream waters and the 'Aurora Borealis', they are home to an ancient Viking culture and fishing industry.
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A true labour of love, the album was conceived and written by Kate Denny (sings and strings) after a visit to the area, and further research revealed that legendary horror writer Edgar Allen Poe had also found inspiration there (for his short story Descent into the Maelstrom no less). Tales of mystery and imagination indeed. As it turned out, Denny also has a personal connection to the history of the Islands; her Grandfather's ship The Arethusa was part of the first major British action there in WW2. The picture is made complete with the able assistance of Jill Cumberbatch (violin, mandolin, octave mandola, guitar, vocals) and Chris Harrison (piano accordion, piano vocals).
From shanty-inspired rousing tunes, through intricate three-part harmonies and finely arranged, haunting, Winterset-esque songs, Lofoten Calling displays an acute sense of what's at the heart of the British folk tradition and brings it sailing into the 21st century with an honesty and playfulness that is at once enchanting, touching and irresistible.
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