Conceptual focus and organic instrumental precision, a carefully built series of soundscapes and songs, with honest vocals and stories that feel poetic and poignant amidst impassioned melodies and builds. Stewart Kenny masters the craft with purpose and depth, for the powerful new album Blood on the Wall.
Featuring the perfect opening and title-track to introduce its emotional and musical scope, Blood on the Wall is a guitar and piano-led, post-eight-minute exploration of story, and its darkness and pain resound more strongly as the track gathers clear and compelling momentum.
It’s a heart-breaking listen, with a hopeful melodic twist for contrast, and there’s an ache in the Stewart Kenny voice that feels aptly immersed in and impacted by this central theme of destruction and suffering.
Taking its time to raise the energy, Blood on the Wall is incredibly well-written, feeling like a long-form classic from the topical pop-rock and compositional realm of Nick Cave, Elton John, The Eagles. It’s not a genre comparison, but a songwriting one, and something in the emotional value and piercing lyrical realness and metaphor. “But you can’t stop the flow from a river that never runs dry.”
The Blood on the Wall album is sensational, honest and engaging, with acoustic folk-pop gems and a nostalgic realness that compliments the clear talent and intentional explorational skills of Stewart Kenny throughout. Consider the softer set-up of Love Your Enemy – the personal anecdote, the clever poetry and questions, and the naturally catchy, satisfying resolves.
The album features twelve songs in full, with highlights including the bright piano and countering hardship of Feet Made of Clay, the similarly juxtaposed uplift and unrelenting darkness of You Should Be Afraid, and the intriguing folk wonder, piano and harmonies of a rather beautiful The Draper Man. Don’t Look Back is also beautiful, inspiring, motivational, and a wonderfully varied addition to the set.
For classic songwriting fans, Blood on the Wall in full is a fairly spectacular, honest and immersive collection of stories and songs, and Steward Kenny’s natural talent and devotion to this project shine with unquestionable brightness.
Find Stewart Kenny on Instagram & Patreon.
