In December 2017 Dermot Kennedy posted a sneak peak of a song on instagram with the lyrics, “you’ve been giving me stories to tell, what we’ve been about, oh hell.” And though Kennedy hasn’t given fans this song, it feels like the stories he alluded to years ago on this unreleased track can be found within his new album, The Weight of the Woods. An album that touches on loss, challenges in relationships, and feelings of not being enough, all while holding onto slivers of hope found in cracks of light throughout the album.
The name of the album itself represents what it is to be Dermot Kennedy. A man who finds solace within the forest near where he grew up in Rathcoole, Ireland, yet feels a duty to share stories borne by himself and his loved ones. It reminds me of a tattoo he has that depicts a river of flowing thoughts leading to a withered piano carried on the shoulders of a man entitled, the pursuit.
As far as Dermot Kennedy albums go, this is his best in my opinion. And before anyone comes for me, hear me out. Does this album contain my favorite Dermot Kennedy song? No. But for me, this album is his most cohesive body of work. The stories he tells in this album all feel similar, though shared in different ways or perhaps from different perspectives, reflecting on how our reactions to the most difficult times in life can ultimately shape who we become.
The album opens with the intro track, The Weight of the Woods (reprise), where soaring vocals by Maynooth University Chamber Choir join Kennedy in guiding listeners to a sacred space where Kennedy’s stories can be found. The transition to Honest, the second track and third single released off the album, was a bit jarring for me, but I attributed it to the urgency for Kennedy to return to what he’s discovered matters most to him. It’s as if this song is the preface and the rest of the album contains glimpses of past experiences and what led to this sudden realization and urgency to return homeward.
The third track, Refuge, was the second single released and my personal favorite of the three singles. This vulnerable track slows down the record, feeling a bit more reflective and self-aware as Kennedy admits to the listener that he’s not invincible. It’s a side to Kennedy that we don’t often see, and I appreciate the raw honesty of it.
The heart of the record to me is his fifth track, Endless. I’ve often said to people that Kennedy’s music is what will sit with you in your darkest moments. It holds space for the broken in a way that doesn’t feel burdensome. For me this song exemplifies the feeling of all of his songs that have helped me work through my own grief. Sometimes people don’t need the “right words.” Sometimes people just need you to sit with them until the heaviness passes, which is what this song embodies.
Skipping ahead to track nine, Wasted, is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the heavier feel of Endless. It’s an upbeat tune with one of my favorite melodies on the entire album. What really won me over on this track is the staccato piano sections. I haven’t heard much being said about this tune, but it’s becoming one that I go back to a lot, and I’m hoping we will see it on tour. It will be a nice one to give everyone a break from tears.
Sitting in at track ten is, Blue Eyes, my favorite song on the album. He teased it back in April of 2023 in an instagram post asking fans if they could guess which film inspired him to write it. He later admitted that it was Cinderella Man (hopefully I’m remembering that correctly – it’s been three years). If there’s one song on this album that brings me back to when I first fell in love with Kennedy’s music, it’s this one. Great songwriting that keeps you hanging on every word.
Another stand out section on the album for me is in The Only Time I Prayed as Kennedy’s airy falsetto repeats the lyrics “any other lover, stole away in the night.” This captivating sound is one that I could bottle up and keep on repeat. It’s one of the most, if not the most, sonically beautiful moments on the album.
I recently saw a clip on instagram of an interview Kennedy did where he was asked what song almost didn’t make the album. His answer was Happiness. I audibly gasped because it’s easily one of my top songs on this record. A song that reflects on a persons life at the end of their life. Kennedy writes from a perspective of letting go, but not with sadness. It’s more of letting go with gratitude of the moments you’ve had and being thankful you had them.
This album feels like an emotional extension of his debut album, Without Fear, but with gained perspective. There’s a line in Without Fear that says, “there’s a beauty in being broken, I’ve been seeing it,” and this album follows that theme as Kennedy sings about loss and grief without losing himself in it, and instead, embraces the journey during those difficult times ultimately realizing happiness can be found in the mundane. The more I sit with this record, the more I appreciate this record. The stories in this album are familiar, but they are told from a place with seasoned understanding and maturity.
Kennedy’s EU and UK tour for The Weight of the Woods begins in May this year, and his North American tour begins later in the year in September. Tickets are on sale now, so be sure to pick one up wherever you are!