April 3rd marks the day that Dermot Kennedy delivers what seems to be his most mature and vulnerable release to date. Inspired by a trip to his Irish homeland and eagerly awaited by his fans, ‘The Weight Of The Woods’ came as his third full-length project, nearly three years after his last one. Featuring 14 tracks on a standard LP and 16 on the exclusive version, the record appears as a conceptually coherent collection of experiences, with Kennedy grabbing listeners by the heart and walking them through the emotional highs and lows - something he figured out a long time ago. 

This return to the roots has undoubtedly shaped the musical layer, because compared to his last record, ‘Sonder’, the ‘Weight Of The Woods’ musical palette feels richer, more textured, and definitely less pop. The album produced by Gabe Simon, who has worked with artists such as Lana Del Rey and Noah Kahan, is described by Kennedy as “[...] a beautiful homegrown thing with Irish instruments and an Irish story.” Although in some of the songs like ‘Turnstile’ country influences can be heard too - and there’s a reason for that - the record is said to be “the organic cultural intersection” between Ireland and Nashville, where Simon is based, and where parts of the album were recorded.

What remains unchanged is Kennedy’s powerful vocals, which do not disappoint, sounding as intense and heartfelt as ever. That voice was deliberately brought to the forefront, as the singer said: “If I get up in a pub with just a guitar or a piano, I’m certain that I can sing to a room full of people. It’s where I’m the most comfortable. I wanted that element to be front-and-centre on this album.”

Lyrically, the album captures themes like reconnecting with home ground (‘The Weight Of The Woods’), agony of longing for lost love (‘Often, Lately’), whilst also providing some comfort and uplifting words, surprisingly in a track called ‘Funeral’ (the song’s name would certainly not suggest that.) Meanwhile, ‘Honest’ is described by Kennedy in his newsletter as “a song about courage in the face of so much vulnerability.” On Instagram, he added that this song features one of his favourite lyrics on the album: “It’s been dark so long, she’s so damn bright”. All of that showcases Kennedy’s remarkable songwriting abilities - some fans even call him their favourite poet! 

Ultimately, even with its consistent lyrical themes, ‘The Weight Of The Woods’ never feels repetitive, and each track, shifting between diverse sounds and tones, adds something unique to the album's comprehensive emotional rollercoaster. Fans’ reactions have been great so far, as some of them could already hear the album ahead of the release, some songs performed live during acoustic performances Kennedy gave to promote the album, or from recordings shared on social media - one thing is certain - the artist nailed it when it comes to hyping this one!

In the end, to perfectly capture the spirit of this record, it’s worth using Dermot’s words featured in the album trailer: “'Cause there will be plenty of both agony and beauty. I hope the love outweighs the hurt for you.”

Paulina Pasturczak

@kurczvkontour

Image: ‘The Weight Of The Woods’ Official Album Cover