Reviews and reaction to 'Interloper'
Named at #6 in the Sunday Express albums of the year 2015.
"There are dozens of folk violinists, but few with the attack, passion, and ingenuity of Tom Kitching. The most beautiful instrumental playing of the year."
Nominated for Musician of the Year at the Spiral Earth Awards.
Mike Harding;
“Tom Kitching is one of the best English fiddlers ever – he plays with fire and gusto, energy, intelligence and feel – takes English folk music by the scruff of the neck and sends it off laughing and dancing and having a good time, The more I listen to this album the more it grows on me - Damn good stuff.”
The Sunday Express gives Interloper 5 stars and awards it 'Album of the Week'
"With his insistent, attacking technique and a brilliant ear for arrangement, Kitching has brought an adventurous, almost indie sensibility to English folk fiddle playing. A beautiful, enthralling debut."
The Independent is kind;
"Matches the improvisatory spirit of jazz and the precision of classical... 'Interloper' is highly recommended"
The Telegraph gave it 4 stars and a place on their list of 'Best folk albums of 2015'
"Invention and grace... a very impressive debut"
The Guardian reviews what I'm up to in an article, and places it alongside Spiro and Leveret;
"Acts such as Spiro, Leveret and Tom Kitching are all bringing a dynamic contemporary approach to English dance tunes that draws on jazz-like improvisation, world music influences, minimalism and systems music."
Songlines gave it 4 stars;
"A vivid and rewarding exploration into the world of traditional English dance tunes"
R2 Magazine also gave it 4 stars;
"In the first rank of English fiddlers... deftly played"
English Dance and Song Magazine (http://www.efdss.org/);
"Interloper is challenging, dextrous, and above all, thought provoking."
Froots Magazine says;
"Scoring is imaginative and intelligent, and tunes are ingeniously combined."
Folkall Blog says;
"Tom Kitching's playing is hearty, precise, gritty and at times almost contradictory in its subtlety, and anyone who thinks English traditional music is festooned under a sea of cobwebs need only listen to Interloper once and it will soon clear the sinuses"
"Often venturing into medieval territory, the sort of music you might associate with the peasant musicians in a Pieter Bruegel painting, the tunes re-imagine the past but at the same time breathe new life in the here and now."
Folkradio.co.uk says
"This is a collection of cracking tunes with intelligent, absorbing arrangements. You can’t go wrong with this one."
Folkwords says;
"It’s an iridescent collection of fiddle tunes running the spectrum of traditional dance to vivid and expansive innovation."
Living Tradition magazine is not so sure about it;
"I suspect Mr Kitching has bitten off more than he can chew here."
Fiddle On Magazine likes it though;
"If you only buy one fiddle CD this year, make it this one."
Michael Brocken, BBC Radio Merseyside;
“One of the best young(ish)! fiddlers in Britain without a doubt!"
BBC Radio Nan Gaidheal Caithream Ciuil 'Album of the Week' February 23rd
Radio Sheffield Live 'Album of the Week' February 23rd
Sonic Bandwagon says;
"... he’s created a multi textured and multi-facetted tapestry of arrangement."
Fatea magazine seems confused;
"What does all this mean? Can we draw any conclusions? Having listened to "Interloper" now for two weeks I can't find any answers other than it's been a thoroughly enjoyable quest to consider."
Acoustic Magazine says;
"An exuberant, expressive solo debut"