Review from Net Rhythms

Both of these talented youngsters are already well integrated into established (and respected) bands: Jamie with Kerfuffle, Katriona with Tiny Tin Lady. But they each have an extraordinary amount to offer outside of a band context, and their teaming-up as a duo has already proved a very wise move both artistically and in terms of greater recognition of their individual talents. They've been leaving audiences open-mouthed with their (genuinely) exciting and unassumingly confident displays of instrumental technique, as well as showcasing some outstanding original songs (both Kat and Jamie are also very capable songwriters, and really good singers to boot). They did release a taster-EP (A Game For Two) back in 2006, but Shadows And Half Light is their debut full-length offering. And it's absolutely stunning.

Although their musical stance and general approach can be loosely described as acoustic-contemporary (as opposed to revivalist or traditional), they actually possess a very personal sound that totally belies the heard-it-all-before mundanity of that generic A-C tag. Jamie's eerily delicate yet highly percussive "lap" guitar style is pretty much unique and just has to be seen to be believed (being almost as entertaining to watch as to hear!), and is strikingly complemented by Kat's sensitive and intricate yet abundantly fiery fiddle playing; aptly, both of them provide an enviable degree of "shadows and half-light" in their musicianship, qualities which are reflected in the often murky preoccupations of their lyrics.

Although they're not exactly depressing, these creations tend to brood, to lurk within and just outside the borders of your consciousness, often compellingly so. Kat's Hunter Man, the disc's opener is a grim and atmospheric presence, in almost complete contrast to the really beautiful Susannah (which pays a certain amount of homage to Stephen Foster's song of that name), while Travelling In Time is a moving and evidently deeply understanding portrait of a dementia sufferer. Jamie's songs (of which there are five on the CD) tend to be more achingly personal, and the pained delicacy of Pleased To Meet You complements the awesomely familiar mental stasis of So Long and the perceptive philosophical conundrum of Stopped Clock. In all cases, the maturity and insightfulness of the writing is such that you marvel they can have been written by folks so young (and that's not meant to sound patronising).

The songs are punctuated with three instrumental tracks, each a stunning display of showmanship and rhythmic and melodic virtuosity but also thoroughly musical, with titles that are almost onomatopoeic (Running With Scissors indeed – scary, well you see what I mean!). As well as the original songs and instrumentals, the disc contains just one trad-arr track, a dazzling, dashing arrangement of All Among The Barley, capped off with a zestful original jig – so let's hear some more similarly innovative arrangements of traditional material on future albums.

One final observation: Kat and Jamie are skilled multi-instrumentalists, and they use the studio environment to persuasively yet selectively augment their basic fiddle-and-acoustic-guitar armoury - to very good effect too, it turns out, with smidgens of mandolin, banjo, electric guitar, viola, trombone and cajon intelligently embellishing the texture at key points. A very small number of guest musicians are employed too (Jamie's sister Kathryn on piano and vocals, Fyrish's Marjorie Paterson on cello, Dom Howell on bodhrán and Jack Theedom on double bass), and the unobtrusive naturalness of their contributions speaks volumes about the integrity of the core duo.

This really is one of the freshest, strongest, most consistent and significantly impressive debut discs I've encountered in a long time: check out Kat and Jamie with due haste!

Dave Kidman

Review from Rock'n'Reel

FIVE STARS *****

Having seen this exciting young duo on a couple of occasions and been suitably impressed, this first full album comes with very high expectations indeed, and I’m pleased to say that it doesn’t disappoint. All but one of the tracks here are self-penned, but traditional influences are worn proudly: Roberts’s ‘I Don’t Want To Say Goodbye’ is given an Irish flavour by the dancing fiddle, whilst Gilmore’s ‘Hunter Man’ – a number one single in a different and better parallel universe – underpins its threatening narrative with a gypsy swing. As well as songwriters of a maturity beyond their years – check out the haunting ‘Stopped Clock’ – both are consummate musicians. Gilmore’s fiddle switches in an instant from seductive to soaring, and Roberts is one of the few of the current crop of percussive acoustic guitar players who uses his dexterity in the service of the music rather than the ego. ‘White Lie’ recalls Seth Lakeman, one of the many artists to tip the duo, and whilst this is the only song to suggest a direct comparison, Gilmore and Roberts are another young act producing sharp contemporary songs with roots deep in the British folk tradition.

Oz Hardwick

Review from Tykes News

This CD arrived just in time for review in this edition (an earlier copy addressed to Tykes seems to have been intercepted by fate). The comments here are, therefore, based on rather more limited acquaintance with the material than I would usually bestow. I must admit that the fact that I came to the first listen with a benevolent frame of mind was somewhat reassuring, as I may otherwise have worried that any negative criticism may have been due to haste rather than considered judgement. The reason for this sunny disposition was the fact that Katriona and Jamie had given us an excellent performance at an early Raggalds Acoustic night and the opportunity to hear what they could do in the studio was a prospect to relish.

Any initial concerns were, however, totally unfounded as this is simply one of the best CDs I have had the opportunity to review during my career here at Tykes. The title of the CD is a perfect description of the content as one of the things that captivates the listener are the degrees of light and shade in the songs and instrumental arrangements. From the driving opener ‘Hunter Man’ to the reflective closing track ‘Travelling in Time’ there is not a dull moment. Katriona’s dynamic fiddle style and Jamie’s percussive guitar playing (including use of the guitar body) enthral throughout, as do the other instrumental contributions from the duo and well chosen guests. From witnessing the live set I was a little worried that their voices may struggle to come through the mix strongly enough to convince but even this fear was confounded as the sound is perfectly balanced. All the songs and tunes are written by Katriona & Jamie, except for a fine arrangement of the traditional ‘All Among the Barley’, and demonstrate a potential that when fully realised will undoubtedly astound.

For the purpose of this review I have played this CD at every opportunity during the last 6 days. It will not be long though before it is heard again, such is its originality, power and beauty.

Marvellous – an essential purchase.

Joe Grint

Review from Shire Folk

This is their first full-length duo recording, and it’s well worth the wait. Playing together since 2006, both also work with very successful bands (Tiny Tin Lady and Kerfuffle); on Shadows and Half Light they display their multi-instrumental skills together with considerable songwriting talent.

The opening track, Hunter Man, written and sung by Katriona, is an atmospheric, eerie tale, backed by suitably insistent rhythm and faultlessly sung. So Long, a story of indolent youth, demonstrates Jamie’s expertise for writing tunes that fit his words like a glove, as does Stopped Clock, with its halting rhythm and epic theme of subjection and retribution. Katriona’s Susannah is a lateral take on Stephen Foster’s Oh Susannah, and her closing song, Travelling in Time, has a delightfully twisty tune carrying the rather enigmatic words.

The instrumental sets are complex and invigorating, as one would expect from two such musical individuals. My favourite is Middle of May, with its jazzy, well-constructed tune and lush arrangement. Outstanding tracks for me were the aforementioned Hunter Man and Jamie’s I Don’t Want to Say Goodbye, where his virtuosic percussive lap-style guitar technique is used to full effect.

Supported by Dom Howell (bodhran), Marjorie Paterson (cello), Jack Theedom (double bass) and Jamie’s sister Kathryn Roberts (vocals and piano), this is an exceptionally well-produced and beautifully-packaged album that does immense credit to a very listenable young duo. See them live if you can, but buy the album!

Barry Goodman

Review from FishRecords.co.uk

While Katriona and Jamie both have other musical projects (notably Tiny Tin Lady and Kerfuffle respectively), they’ve performed as a duo for the past 2 years or so, and this debut album really shows them to be one of the UK’s finest young contemporary folk acts.

The album is based around the talents of two fantastic musicians; Jamie is an innovative guitarist who not only plays in a distinctive percussive style but amazingly also adds bass and drum parts too. While it would be easy for his obvious skills to take over and be the focus of the duo, Katriona’s fiddle playing moves from delicate to fiery and her vocals are equally striking, and they provide a perfect balance to the overall sound.

The musical virtuosity of Jamie makes the live show unforgettable, and while it’s easy to pick these elements up on the disc, they’ve wisely added a range of other instrumentation to the album including percussion, cello, banjo and piano (which is provided by Jamie’s sister Kathryn), and this instrumental variety gives the album depth and gives each track a distinct sound.

What makes this album really stand out is in the quality of the writing for such young artists, of the twelve tracks, nine of them were written by Katriona or Jamie and there are some real highlights, ‘Travelling in Time’ and ‘Susannah’ are the two obvious highlights and they’re both beautifully written and performed songs; ‘So Long’ is the song that demonstrates the versatility of the duo as musicians, and ‘Hunter Man’ would fit seamlessly onto any Equation disc.

They are both dazzling musicians, and the whole album is a mixture of their own excellent songs and a couple of contemporary arrangements of traditional songs, and this mix gives the album a good pace and variety – in fact there’s very little not to like across the entire album, and ‘Shadows and Half Light’ represents one of the finest contemporary folk albums in recent memory. Unreservedly recommended.

Review from Bright Young Folk

One of the things that has surprised me since joining the Bright Young Folk team is the willingness of people to offer up CDs for us to review. So it was that I found myself holding the much-anticipated new G’n’R album. That’s Gilmore ‘n’ Roberts as opposed to the other bunch.

Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts have been playing together on the folk circuit since 2006, and as well as their own performances, you may know them from their other projects: Jamie is a member of Kerfuffle - having replaced Chris Thornton-Smith as guitarist in 2007 - and Katriona has been playing fiddle with Tiny Tin Lady since 2006. While they have released a couple of EPs previously, this is their first full length album together.

With the exception of ’All Among The Barley’, the album is a collection of original songs, largely written by either Gilmore or Roberts individually, though they take joint credits on a couple of instrumental tracks. The lead vocals are similarly shared out which each taking the lead on their own songs. Of the two, Jamie has the stronger voice but I have to say that the singing is beautifully judged throughout.

The album opens on a strong note, with ‘Hunter Man’ boasting an upbeat melody, catchy chorus, and a decent folklore-style lyric on a ‘if you go down to the woods today….’ theme. Things slowdown with next track ‘So Long’, which is suitably melodically downbeat for a song lamenting the protagonist’s apathy and inaction.

I’d read about the duo’s liking for complex arrangements & odd time signatures, and on the whole they work really well. One of the first times it really strikes you is on the stop/start nature of ‘Stopped Clock’, a great little song which begins with an upbeat rhythm that lasts 12 seconds before suddenly careering to a halt, and moving into something much slower. From there on, it’s frequently changing pace, speeding up and slowing down as the strings & trombone move in and out. I loved it.

Similarly, ‘White Lie’ is a fun, lively track with an acerbic lyric. Then we get the more gentle beauty of ‘Susannah’, and a gorgeous version of the traditional harvest song ‘All Among The Barley’.

‘Pleased to Meet You’ is a deeply touching song about the experience of someone you care for having their memories wiped out, and one which sounds like it may very well have been born out of painful personal events. It is a sad, haunting song, and quite possibly the best on the album as a result.

The album wraps up with a couple of slower numbers, ’I Don’t Want To Say Goodbye’, and ’Travelling In Time’.

Alongside the songs, the CD is dotted with instrumentals – ‘Middle of May’, ‘Running With Scissors’, ‘Skip And Jump’. They’re all inoffensive enough, and I can imagine them working well live as a bit of a jam between songs. But at the same time, the first two don’t really leap off the CD and grab me. ‘Skip and Jump’ has a bit more to it, and really does catch fire in the second half of the tune, but even so, it still feels a bit like filler compared to the rest of the album.

Overall though, this is an impressive debut, beautiful both lyrically and musically. And all without a bucket-wearing guitarist in sight.

Review from Folk and Roots

I'm still undecided, even after all this time, about which is the most satisfying; to listen to an album by a relative unknown, then once it's been on the playlist for a good few runs-through and I've become accustomed to the sounds within, to then go out and catch the artist live as soon as possible; or whether it's visa versa, or t'other way round as we like to say around here, I don't know. I'm still on the fence with that one.

I first saw Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts live, happening upon them in the Sandygate Hotel last May, as part of the 2008 Wath Festival, when they got up to play a short set, which in turn, and quite unexpectedly, resulted in my jaw dropping onto my lap. Questions were going around my head during their short set, like for instance, what's Kathryn Roberts doing here in the audience? Ah, I thought, Jamie must be her brother. Well done Sherlock. Now answer this; how does one so young learn to play the guitar like that? Jamie plays in an unorthodox manner, by resting his instrument upon his lap, whereupon he embarks on a festival of slapping, thumping and plucking away like a madman, whilst Katriona, an exceptionally tasteful fiddle player, adds the melody with a graceful stoicism. I must point out that when Katriona got up for this festival appearance, she could've been, for all intents and purposes, a fifteen-year old protégé for all I knew; the backlight flooding the Sandygate bar created just a silhouette of this tiny tin lady, but the standard of her playing betrayed her age by a good margin.

Having first encountered the duo at Wath, I caught them soon after in a Sheffield pub, where I bought up all their recorded output, basically a couple of EPs, which served to put me on until the release of this, their first full blown studio album and I must say it was worth the wait. Comprised completely of self-penned songs and tunes, with the exception of the one traditional song "Among The Barley", 'Shadows and Half Light' is not only a suitable taster for what this duo get up to on stage, but also serves as a pretty tasty debut album.

Cutting their teeth in well known young (and current) bands, both Katriona and Jamie are used to performing and touring as well as popping in and out of the studio. In Tiny Tin Lady and Kerfuffle respectively, together with the shared experience of attending Leeds College of Music, where the couple met, Katriona and Jamie have managed to develop their individual styles of playing which now comes together and dovetails neatly in an album that accurately describes what they are all about.

There's a nice balance between Jamie's introspective questioning songs and Katriona's ability to tell a story. Katriona's "Hunter Man", the opening song, evokes the same spirit as Jonathan Kelly's "Ballad of Cursed Anna", with strange goings on in the woods, told with the aid of probably the best instrument for conveying fear and suspense, the violin. For those of us who assumed the duos' musical prowess was limited to an expressively played guitar and some ethereal fiddle solos, then it may come as a surprise that there is also some additional mandolin, cajon, percussion and very effective trombone work, courtesy of Jamie Roberts, which adds an almost mariachi feel to "Stopped Clock" as well as popping up in other choice places on the album.

Katriona's update on the Stephen Foster classic "Suzanna" provides the album with one of the most memorable chorus songs that I can imagine being heard in folk clubs up and down the country before too long. For the sensitive ballads we have Jamie to depend on. "Pleased to Meet You" and "I Don't Want To Say Goodbye" convey depth of feeling and sensitivity in equal measure, and finally, let's not overlook Katriona's delightfully ambient "Travelling In Time", which concludes the album.

Although the songs provide a major contribution to 'Shadows and Half Light', the instrumental pieces are not to be overlooked for a single moment. The inventiveness and dexterity of the duo's playing ability is highlighted throughout the album but nowhere better than in "Middle of May" incorporating the jazzy "Big Nige", with it's instantly memorable, if hardly dancer friendly, time signature.

Finally a word about packaging. To this reviewer, who has been known to put CD packaging in Room 101 ahead of bananas and traffic calming schemes, the music industry has finally settled on an excellent design for CD album sleeves that finally match up to the late lamented (but not quite extinct) gatefold LP sleeves and the beautiful music on 'Shadows and Half Light' has thankfully been given some suitably deserving packaging. Sounds good on the ipod, looks good on the shelf.

Allan Wilkinson