Bap Kennedy - Let's start Again

***

A bit too far across the pond!!!

Bap Kennedy is a Northern Irish singer songwriter who has quite a back catalogue, with ‘Let’s start again’ being his sixth solo album following another five with his previous band Energy Orchard. I always find music and orchards go together well with my preference of a nice pint of cider so it he likes them too, this is a good start.

He has previously worked with quite a stellar line up of acts too from Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler and another great Irish musician in Shane MacGowan of the Pogues. With Lets start again he aimed to get back to more local musicians and there is certainly a traditional sound running all the way through the album, though on first listen the traditions appear more based on the other side of the Atlantic than across the Irish Sea.

The opening track title track of the album has an almost Bob Dylan like quality to it with a sound somewhere between folk and country music. The feel that the USA has been a major influence also comes across in ‘Revelation Blues’ which transports me to a bar some in the deep west rather than a very soggy Somerset. We head slightly further south for ‘King of Mexico’ which, as could be expected, has quite a Spanish feel and breaks up the feel early on giving another side to the album.

Overall the album is probably a bit too rooted in the US traditions for me to totally come on board with it, ‘Heart Trouble’ has an element of swing but ‘Strange Kid’ is just a bit too Country and Western for me, like the track I talked about above 'Revelation Blues' which has this element as well mixed with a touch of the Blues. I mentioned I was based in Somerset but this really does give me a feeling I should be chewing on a piece of straw. ‘Fools Paradise’ was probably the stand out track for me with more a Blues feel.

In fact I have mention so many styles I think that is what I could not quite come to love in the album, alongside the very Americana theme he has also try to fit every style of American acoustic music in there too.  There is no doubting he is a talented musician and can write a good song, if you like that sound this is certainly for you. 

Review Jon Cooper

Check Out! the Video for 'Revelation Blues' Below...