Dermot Kennedy’s Soaring Debut, “Without Fear” – A Track-by-Track Review
For Dermot Kennedy’s devoted, passionate fanbase, the word “debut” may elicit a chuckle because he has been a part of their daily routine for almost half a decade. But sure enough, this artist who began his career busking on Grafton Street (Dublin, IRE) will release his debut album, Without Fear, on Friday, October 4, 2019.
There are two reasons it must have been such a difficult process for Dermot to release this first album. The first is song selection; he has so many songs dating back to his Shadows & Dust days to songs like “An Evening I Will Not Forget” that have been around for years to songs that he wrote just in the past few months, that narrowing the selection down to thirteen tracks must have been a challenge. Fans are also bound to react with “Why isn’t Malay/Stockholm (substitute other personal favorites) on the album???” The second reason being that his songs are constantly evolving, which is noticeable both in the live setting and those that have multiple studio releases.
Dermot’s previous releases include an EP entitled Doves & Ravens in 2017, a second EP entitled Mike Dean Presents: Dermot Kennedy in 2018 and, the closest thing to an album until now, a Spotify playlist of twelve old and new studio tracks released in January 2019.
Although not officially part of his discography, another key release for Dermot’s fans was the full live show of November 11, 2016, when Dermot opened for Mick Flannery at St. Stephens Church in London. The performance was recorded by a fan and shared to YouTube and has since accumulated hundreds of thousands of views, with one still unreleased and rarely performed track (“The Killer Was A Coward”) at over 900,000 views. This build is a testament to the power of Dermot’s live presence and now there is finally an album to go with it.
Track by Track Review of “Without Fear”
Dermot’s ability to paint with words is immediately noticeable on the first two tracks and does not diminish through the album.
Just like many of his concerts, Without Fear begins with Dermot’s voice alone, singing “An Evening I Will Not Forget,” a strong contender for his most popular song among the fan base due to its live presence. Like many of the songs that were previously released and repurposed for the album, this track appears more produced and layered than previous stripped-down versions.
Another staple of his live shows, “All My Friends,” follows next. This track mostly remains true to its original form on Doves & Ravens but is less focused on the piano track and has a heavier presence of drums and fills.
“Power Over Me,” likely Dermot’s biggest radio hit to date, is the arena anthem that belongs in the third spot. In the live setting, this song revolves around all four members (Dermot, Kieran Jones on bass, Jonny Coote on keys and Micheál Quinn on drums) functioning as one unstoppable unit during the chorus. The album version is equally powerful without being overproduced.
The fourth track, “What Have I Done,” is the first on the album that fans have not had any taste of, either live or in a studio release, until now. While the title indicates regret (“I know that it’s dangerous…”), it is a declaration of love from someone who never expected to be, or maybe felt he did not deserve to be, in love. Dermot’s poetry really shines through on this track.
A track about a relationship ending too soon, “Moments Passed” follows. Like “Power Over Me,” this track remains mostly true to the Spotify release. Fans will hear that the mystery of opening lyrics remains; something that seems to have become an inside joke/secret amongst the band. The vocal fills are probably the most overt reason that Dermot often gets labeled as “hip hop influenced.” The lyrics paint a vivid picture using themes that frequent Dermot’s songs (December, snow, birds) where you can see the interaction and emotions as clear if they were on screen.
“The Corner” makes its studio debut and is quite a bit different than the live version he began playing in the fall of 2018 until as recently as last month. The first verse and tempo of the song are most noticeably altered. The song has a beautiful melody that builds to the powerful second half which is not exactly a verse or chorus, but an outright plea (“You know me so you know I’m feeling lonely, I’m lonely right down in my heart…”). Dermot has described the song as having been written quickly in one day in London, which is a true testament to how pure his songwriting talents must be.
Similarly, “Lost” is another track that did not make its debut until after the Spotify release and first arrived on the live stage in the fall of 2018. It was released as a digital single in April 2019. The song features arguably Dermot’s most often tattooed lyric (“I’ve learned in love and death we don’t decide…”). The video features a beautiful stripped-down version of Dermot’s vocals alone that builds to the full band appropriately carrying the song with him.
“Rome” is the second track on the album making a true debut. Again, the impact of his poetry and melody grab you immediately. In it, Dermot reminisces about simpler times after being told a relationship is ending (“But last night, it hurt me to hear you say it felt broken, and even though I tried, all these memories run my mind in slow motion…”). It would be reasonable to expect this track to become a common answer to the question of fans’ favorite track on the album.
The fact that “Outnumbered,” the first single released on the day the album was announced, is the ninth track on the album is a testament to the strength of the album as a whole. One reason for its placement may be its theme of comfort and solace after the heartbreak of “Rome.” Because it was the first single, the promotion tour has included many stripped-down versions with only Dermot on vocals and Jonny on keys, which demonstrate his amazing vocal ability. Dermot himself says about the song, “Outnumbered is an attempt to comfort anybody who is feeling overwhelmed. A reminder that beauty can be found no matter how dark the night may seem. I hope it can be a source of reassurance to anyone going through hard times. To know that things will get better and that hard times will become a thing of the past.”
“Dancing Under Red Skies” is another track, like “The Corner,” that had only been heard in the live setting before this album release. Both made their live debuts in the fall of 2018, but this track seemed to be less appreciated by fans at the time. The song explores a darker theme and, in that way, is similar to the unreleased track, “The Killer Was A Coward” and has a soaring chorus strong enough to stand on its own.
Dermot often gets grouped with Ed Sheeran in terms of genre, but “Outgrown” and “Redemption” may be the only songs that come close to fitting that description. Again, Dermot ventures into new territory with “Outgrown,” exploring the feelings of not being good enough, not living up to potential, watching others pass by, followed by the hope of “Redemption.” It will be very interesting to see how these two tracks translate live with up-tempo drumbeats and themes of self-doubt and recovery.
Finally, the title track, “Without Fear,” remains true to the original. The only version of this song that existed for fans until now was the 2016 solo live version. The track begins in a similar way, but the strings carry the song up and then bring it back down again. It must have been a difficult decision whether to close the album with this song or “After Rain,” a track which has been his concert closer for years. “Without Fear” is a great final track that continues the theme of the album beautifully.
This album is everything Dermot Kennedy fans could hope for and is bound to grow his already significant following. We are fortunate to have this first official chapter of his story. Dermot will embark on a North American tour this month, followed by dates in Europe and returning to North America again early in 2020. Make sure to order the album and see him live when you can.