Damien Dempsey clearly spent his childhood absorbing the rich heritage of his native Dublin and the culture of his beautiful homeland that is Ireland. With The Rocky Road, his fifth studio album, he visits those traditions and explores some of his country’s turbulent and troubled past. He brings the characters, legends, and stories to vivid life. He does so with an understanding, respect and superb musical craftsmanship that will enthral, delight and move even the hardest souls among us.
Damien Dempsey is a young man who, like many of his country folk, can tell a story and paint a rich tapestry through his words. The album is a collection combining traditional and contemporary folk songs all told and performed with that warmth of Ireland that draws you in and delights you. By a log fire somewhere deep in the green of Ireland you are gathered and over a pint or six you listen absorbed by the characters and stories that Damien presents before you.
The award winning singer, song writer has some of the best possible musicians around him for this album, such as members of the legendary Dubliners. Their presence on the album has taken on a greater significance since the death of one of their own, Ronnie Drew, just as the record was being readied for release. The Rocky Road is a fitting tribute to Ronnie himself by one of his greatest and most gifted admirers.
The album notes give informative, amusing, and touching explanations behind each song, its tradition, its origin and what they mean to Damien himself. There are many great moments on this collection that will delight, amuse, and entertain. There are also songs of high emotional impact that explore simpler times along with troubled days and never to be forgotten heroes. The magnificent cinematic scope that is “A Rainy Night in Soho” doesn’t sound all too Irish from its title but has to be one of the saddest and most moving songs that I have ever heard, by anyone. Damien Dempsey has the ability to convey the very essence of what songs such as these are all about drawing on every emotion and every significant moment contained within them. He is a master of the art of story telling through music. He knows the songs so very well having heard them and drawn from them all his life and with “The Hot Asphalt”, a song that was sung to him time and again by his uncle, he recorded it in one take.
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