Stephen Fearing

Every Soul's a Sailor

BY Kerry DoolePublished Jan 11, 2017

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Veteran roots songsmith Stephen Fearing has achieved real prominence over the past 20 years as a member of super-trio Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, but he'd already made a mark as an eloquent solo folk artist prior to BaRK. He has continued to regularly release solo albums, as well as a couple of fine duo collaborations with Andy White.
 
Every Soul's a Sailor is his first solo effort since 2013's Between Hurricanes, and it's a strong and varied collection. Working with Blackie seems to have widened Fearing's stylistic range, while his skills as a lyricist, fluent guitarist and warm-voiced singer remain sharp. The rock-solid BaRK rhythm section of Gary Craig and John Dymond is on hand, co-producer David Travers Smith contributes horns and Rose Cousins adds effective harmony vocals to "Gone But Not Forgotten" and "Red Lights in the Rain."
 
Their subtle musical touches keep things interesting, though the focus remains clearly on Fearing. He gets overtly political on "Blowhard Nation," a scathing condemnation of Trump's America written prior to the U.S. election ("The fat cats are gaining ground"). That's something of an outlier, with the other material returning to more familiar reflections on love and life. Fearing saves the best for late, with the title cut being a lovely meditative piece ("Every soul's a sailor, rolling out to sea") that glides as smoothly as a yacht under sail in a light breeze.
 
Every Soul's a Sailor is another fine addition to an impressive discography worthy of more recognition.
(Lowden Proud Records)

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