Mike Dean Presents: Dermot Kennedy

Album review

If you haven’t heard the name already, take note of the Dubliner Dermot Kennedy. Taking inspiration from artists like Glen Hansard, Bon Iver and James Blake, this singer/songwriter combines rustic folk and soulful grit with percussion that is deeply rooted in hip-hop and R&B. He writes about beauty, heartache and hope as his music swings on a pendulum of emotion, no more so than with his newest EP “Mike Dean Presents: Dermot Kennedy”. This EP is produced by the infamous american producer Mike Dean, who has worked with such artists as Kanye West, Jay-Z and A$AP Rocky, to name but a few. Kennedy commented on the collaboration to Earmilk Magazine saying; “It was the perfect introduction for me to think about hip hop in a different way and play around with it. I just knew he’d get what I was trying to do with my sound… He put his stamp on the songs and was able to bring forward my love and appreciation for hip hop while keeping to its acoustic roots.” The 23 minutes of music is a combination of new tracks with Young & Free and Couldn't Tell, two previously released tracks in An Evening I Will Never Forget and Moments Passed, and finally a cover of the infamous Frank Ocean track Swim Good. Kennedy has no doubt come along way from busking on the streets of Dublin and with his brutal honesty in his writing, we look forward to what’s next from the Singer/Songwriter. No doubt one to watch! © Aidan Nickerson/ Qobuz