Self-released

***1/2

Award-winning country singer and radio presenter Kerry Fearon’s second album has had a rather circuitous journey to this summer release. It was ten years ago that Kerry burst onto the Irish music scene virtually from out of nowhere. Her star began to rise as radio loved her fresh, captivating voice, and listeners fell for her sincere delivery of both classic and contemporary country and Americana. At precisely the point she was completing work on this second album Covid hit. There followed a protracted five-year challenge to bring the album to her followers. Musically it harks back to the vintage sounds of classic country, from barroom honky-tonk to steel-kissed balladry all with a contemporary Americana edge. While Kerry does not write her own material, she chose the songs in this collection with a deep awareness of their meaning and power. She wears her heroes’ influences proudly, nodding to lesser known, yet highly respected writers like Dori Freeman, Victoria George, Bruce Robison and Carson McHone. The songs chosen are both moving and melodic, often conveyed from a personal perspective that allows those that hear them to share in a universal embrace. In so doing, Kerry effectively brings an audience into their fold. Vocally, she sounds as though she was meant to sing these songs, fitting them perfectly like a glove. As a result, the melodies stand on their own merits, courtesy of her evocative impressions and gentle respite. That’s not to say she opts for static sentimentality. After all, human behavior isn’t unidimensional. These tracks represent classic traditional country, eschewing any unnecessary embellishment that might otherwise clutter the proceedings.

Victoria George is one of the finest writers working in the Country/Americana genre today. She focuses on the song lyrics, yes, but it never comes at the expense of a satisfying melody. This is borne out by Tables Are Turning. Brimming with poetry, humour, intelligence and human experience, listeners will not soon forget Kerry’s vocal gift for conveying the song’s message. When Bad Men Happen To Good Women is a bold, fearless country song and though Kerry has a wonderful voice, this song could stand to be a little more souped-up. The instrumental acumen may actually be part of the problem—it begins with a smooth country swing intro that gears the listener up for something rather special, which unfortunately doesn’t arrive. The playing is perfunctory rather than inspired and so fails to drive the vocals, resulting in a ‘pleasant’ rather than a memorable ‘kick-ass’ rendition.

No question, Kerry’s more convincing on tunes like Bruce Robison’s Take It All Out On You, livened further by some excellent electric guitar picking. Kerry’s obvious love of country music comes through on Dori Freeman’s Go On Loving.  A dark-country gem in which she expresses genuine despair and heartache; in this case, simplicity and sincerity reign supreme. If you didn’t love country music before, this cover will swallow you whole. Her spin on Nanci Griffith’s Ford Econoline packs a rhythmic punch only hinted at in the original, while her rendition of Kim Richey’s Chase Wild Horse is literal, right down to channeling Kim’s vocal affectation. She also plays it straight with Carson McHone’s Maybe They’re Just Really Good Friends and Esther Rose King’s Handyman, both finding a seamless fit within Kerry’s effortlessly engaging approach.

There’s little here that should alienate anyone on the basis of genre alone. Indeed, much of the sonic textures are rooted in the 1970s with a toe in the early 1980s country. This is a commendable album, but possibly a more inspired production could have lifted both Kerry’s vocal presence and the overall instrumental arrangements to a higher level for an indispensable listening experience.

July 2026