Dermot Kennedy has come a long way from busking on the streets of Dublin to selling out gigs all over the world, and he will not be a best kept secret for much longer. I first heard the Irish singer/songwriter in September 2017, and it became apparent very quickly that one of my only regrets in life would be not knowing about him sooner. I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that I have had ALL of his tunes on repeat for the past five months. My patience has been wearing thin in anticipation for new music, but his new single “Young & Free” was just released and was well worth the wait.
Why should you check him out? Let me start with the obvious. His incredible voice. He has this uncanny ability to sing with such raw passion that you feel it in your soul. I remember the first time I listened to his song “An Evening I Will Not Forget.” There is a wonderful progression in that song, and when he got to the climax and belted out “purple, blue, orange, red, these colors of feeling,” I felt moved to the point of tears (over colors, colors!). Next, his beautiful lyrics are intellectually stimulating and honest. There is always light in the dark, courage in the face of fear, and hope where there is doubt. I have never in my life wanted a tattoo for fear of immediate regret, but I have to admit that he has a lyric or two (or ten) that have me questioning my tattooing fears. Lastly, his music. With influences from Glen Hansard and Bon Iver to Drake and Kayne West, Kennedy infuses his love of acoustic music and hip hop together seamlessly.
So, give this song a listen, and prepare your soul to be moved by his powerful voice and uh-maze-ing lyrics. If you are lucky, you might be able to find a ticket or two floating around for his U.S. tour. Click here for more info.
