Freehand

Having witnessed much of Freehand being performed by this eclectic ensemble earlier in the year, it is a pleasure to report that their second album contains the same energy and variety as the live set. The band Kabantu, meaning ‘Of the People,’ originated from music college and has evolved to its current line-up of Katie Foster on violin, Alastair McMath on banjo and double bass, Ben Sayah on guitar and Delia Stevens on percussion.

Pieces range in mood from the lively opening reel, ‘No Change’, to meditative moments, the rustic ‘Rhoscolyn’, to absorbing, complex rhythmic grooves. All members demonstrate their prowess in playing and singing, from stretched string techniques to percussion timbres denoted most notably by the hang (a bit like an inverted steel pan). Although the diverse soundworld is amply demonstrated, it occasionally feels as though this cacophony of ideas holds together sparingly. The admirable ‘democratic musicianship’ claimed by this group of dynamic musicians sometimes needs to be reigned in, though the spirit and vibrancy of this album is well worth checking out; you won’t be bored.