Description

It is hard to imagine how Sean could muster the time to record a solo album in the midst of a feverish touring such as Great Big Sea’s. Sean describes life on the road as ideal for nurturing the writing process. His second solo release, “Son of a Sailor”, touches on themes resulting from this nomadic lifestyle and the longing for home that it creates. He pays musical tribute to the lives of those who have made their living from work on the sea and despite not relying on fishing as a career himself, portrays the lifestyle with sincerity and a genuine sympathy that is quite touching. Musically, the album is somewhat of a departure from the floorboard shaking, traditional folk rock of Great Big Sea. On a number of the tunes, Sean takes a more soft-spoken, pondering stance as he reflects upon his life away from home and how he has been positively influenced by his roots. He is clearly indebted to the place and people that helped shape his upbringing. He is careful and deliberate with his words and their delivery and the music follows suit. This record is his letter home. He has a seemingly effortless ability to write heartfelt and lasting ballads. His voice sounds warm, familiar and lived in; the voice that has acted as a perfect foil for Alan for 20 years. “Son of a Sailor” offers up a blend of acoustic folk pop with elements of country and bluegrass. It should be noted that the album is certainly not without its upbeat foot stompers. There is a lively country/bluegrass infusion that may be attributed to Sean’s time in New Orleans during the recording of the latest Great Big Sea record. Local bluegrass master, Craig Young serves up some pretty tasty guitar licks on barn burners like “Simple Song”. There are still elements of the traditional folk style that Sean has become known for and these genres blend in a complimentary way on the recording. It fits him well. This is a musically star studded album as well, featuring legendary multi-instrumentalist Kelly Russell (Figgy Duff, The Planks), multi Canadian Country Music Award winner Craig Young, and the boys of GBS. The result is a fine record that shows Sean’s great strength not only as a songwriter but as a confident and versatile solo artist.