The Irish fascination with David Kitt is a little befuddling. He was a figurehead in the acoustic singer songwriter movement of the early noughties that was the absolute embodiment of mediocrity. How a selection of predominately samey, repetitive, droning acoustic numbers won the heart of a nation is utterly confounding.
That said, this may just be the most innovative album Kitt has ever made. Kitt has done plenty of dabbling in understated background electronics before, but now, in an increasingly inclusive Irish market, and free of the constraints of a label (perhaps a blessing in disguise) Kitt has branched further into the synth and electro-pop domain, and it certainly makes for more interesting listening. From the delicate oriental intro of opener Move It On, the sleazy Santana style guitar of It's Yours, the disco pop hook of Beat A Retreat, to the rhythmic synth break down of Learning to Say Goodbye, it seems Kitt has grown a new layer.
It's only a shame that some of some of the synth sounds here a very basic, and that several melodies are still lacking. Tracks like "A Real Fire","Don't Wake Me Up" and "No Truth In Your Eyes" serve to remind that he's still the same Kittser, willing to repeat the same melodic lines over and over until they're way past their sell by date. Behind the evolution in sound here is the same nonchalant, uncharismatic quality that ultimately fails to enthral. Shame, really.
