David Kitt - The Nightsaver Album Review

Review of David Kitt's album The Nightsaver

It may surprise to know that this relatively unknown Irish singer-songwriter is in fact six albums into his career. It's not always been plain sailing for Kitt. In 2001 he left independent label Rough Trade for a major label deal, only to be dropped after a disappointing third album. He signed again with Rough Trade, only to part ways again just weeks before his fifth album was due to be released. Gold Spillin' is Kitt's own distribution, meaning that now he is very much an auteur of his own sound, putting his degree in music production to arrange and produce in his bedroom.
In The Nightsaver, Kitt flirts with pop, folk and electronica, tossing them together in an admirably cavalier fashion. There are more than obvious overtones of Tom Vek here, but the atmosphere of The Nightsaver has a more laconic, yielding feel than Vek's only album: 2004's We Have Sound. Kitt's vocals in particular are more melodic and less urgent in comparison, their languor setting an ethereal, laid-back mood.

And it does work, albeit in places. Standout track 'Learning How To Say Goodbye' utilises his sound in the best way, layering simple electric guitar over dredging samples. It's a track that makes the ears prick up with interest, but there are times where Kitt sounds a little too relaxed. The opening six tracks are the best, but the album's momentum peters out towards its close - leaving you wishing the magic was spread out a little further. Having said this, it's a varying record which noteworthy when considering its lone source. The Nightsaver does have its own quiet, chill-out appeal: Not an overwhelming record, but a grower.

Natalie Kaye