KATE DOUBLEDAY – Pied Flycatcher – COPPER RECORDS CRCD003

Following two full-length albums, Kate’s new EP features three songs: delicate pastoral acoustic gems which embody her closeness to nature and her home in Wales.

Kate herself plays flute, beautifully used on ‘The Dunes’ with its traditional-sounding chorus, and is joined by Marie Smith on cello and Daniel Wilkins on guitar and kora. Daniel imitates the harp perfectly on the title track, a perfect example of transporting an instrument from one culture to another. In passing, do Greeks still play the bouzouki, I wonder?

The final track, ‘Freefalling’, is about searching for a place in the world, a theme explored throughout her work. It was Kate’s affinity with the natural world which led her to undertake a summer tour of RSPB bird sanctuaries from Loch Garten to Saxmundham and I can’t imagine a better way to hear her than in the open air far from the intrusions of civilisation.

Dai Jeffries

Artist Web Link: www.katedoubleday.com