Album Review: The Sailor's Revenge by Bap Kennedy

Probably because Bap Kennedy comes from the island of Ireland he writes his songs with metaphors of being shipwrecked and surrounded by the sea. How much one enjoys this record depends on how much tolerance one has for the manly nautical descriptions. The songs are about love more than the ocean, but the sounds of the sea are ever present. So when he sings, “I am the captain of my soul” on “Lonely No More”, the song resonates with echoes of Jack London more than Walt Whitman.

Full Review >>

Irish songwriter Bap Kennedy is a talented man who is fortunate enough to have some talented friends -- he's worked in the studio with Steve Earle, Van Morrison, Shane MacGowan, and Nanci Griffith, and on his 2012 album The Sailor's Revenge, his pal Mark Knopfler produced the sessions as well as playing lead guitar. Knopfler's presence may help The Sailor's Revenge get a greater hearing in the United States than the bulk of Kennedy's previous releases, but the producer clearly has too much respect for the artist to impose too much of himself on this material. This is entirely a Bap Kennedy album, a set of literate and atmospheric songs that fuse Kennedy's Irish sensibilities with hints of American blues, folk, and country influences.

Full Review >>