Maasai / Kilburn Stroll / How Strange / Chase the Light / Your Pretty Smile / Serious / Teachers / Summer's In My Heart / To Hell or Barbados / The City

/ It's All Good (Live)
COOKING VINYL

Imagine how it would sound if any of those dour singer/songwriter types like David Gray, James Blunt or James Morrisson sounded as if they actually had some belief and joy in what they were doing, sounded as if they actually wanted to be performing songs instead of going through the motions for the sake of a moderately successful music career and the chance to hear themselves on Radio 2 playlists 24/7; well listening to the work of Damien Dempsey, you get that sense, the sense of someone putting his heart and soul into his songs, and more importantly sounding as if he actually wants to be out there doing this.

With his latest record, TO HELL OR BARBADOS, Dempsey injects some much needed life and soul into the whole acoustic singer/songwriter scene; songs like opener MAASAI and KILBURN STROLL running the gamut from tender acoustic strum along to towering full band affairs; Dempsey raging at the heart of matters, crooning gently one minute before coming over all impassioned and epic the next.  HOW STRANGE is a slow burning affair that rides along on grunge laden guitar work and an insistent chorus hook whilst the folksy acoustic ditty CHASE THE LIGHT reveals Dempsey's traditional folk influences; think Fairport Convention and Richard Thompson for easy reference points here.

YOUR PRETTY SMILE takes elements of dub and reggae, injecting them into a gentle folk blueprint; a sure sign that Damien Dempsey is someone unafraid to experiment with his songwriting to achieve interesting results.  On SERIOUS, Dempsey even toys with spoken word stream of consciousness; a sound that skates close to an Irish version of The Streets, perhaps not his finest moment but another healthy indication of a sense of experimentalism and free thinking that is refreshing.  The beats and skanking acoustic guitar chords of TEACHERS, imagines Dempsey as an Irish version of Beck on a serious reggae tip whilst the tender SUMMER'S IN MY HEART simply goes for gorgeous restraint and beautifully delivered balladeering.

Title track, TO HELL OR BARBADOS finds Dempsey in a similarly subdued and sombre mood, though with no less passion and commitment in his performance and delivery.  Closing number, THE CITY is another song that favours experimentalism and invention; a swirling groove laden slice of electro soul that ends things on an inspired high.

Injecting some much needed passion, energy and invention into the increasingly dull sounding singer/songwriter genre, Damien Dempsey appears like a breath of fresh air here with TO HELL AND BARBADOS; a record that demands you sit up and take notice.

BIOGRAPHY

Damien Dempsey is from Donaghmede on Dublin's Northside.

His earliest musical influences were the post-pub singsongs that his parents used to have at their home when he was a toddler. Good, bad or indifferent, everyone had to sing. Today his unique sound reflects the influence of traditional Sean-Nós as well as his musical heroes: Bob Marley and Elvis Presley.

After completing his secondary education Damien went on to the Ballyfermot "Rock School" for 2 years where he studied musical performance as well as the practical side of the music industry. The school had its own small record label and star students were awarded a release on the label. Damien was chosen for that honour and the EP, "The Contender", was released in 1995.

In 1997 "Dublin Town", Damien's first commercial single, reached No. 18 in the Irish charts. Ireland's HOT PRESS remarked that it was "..an underground anthem for disaffected youth and closet balladeer alike". A re-recorded version of the song appeared on Damien's first album; "They Don't Teach This Shit In School" released in 2000.

His next release, the "Negative Vibes EP", (2002) featured Sinéad O'Connor on the title track and led to an invitation to support Sinéad on her 2002/2003 Irish, UK and European tour.

Damien's second album, "Seize the Day", was released May 2003 in Ireland on Clear Records via Sony and entered the charts first week of release at No. 5. It has since achieved double-platinum sales. Released in May 2004 in the UK on IRL, the album was awarded "CD of the Week" in the Sunday Times and received enthusiastic reviews in the National and music press.

Nominated in 4 categories in the 2004 Irish Meteor Awards, Damien walked away with two, the only 2004 double winner.

A documentary, "It's All Good: The Damien Dempsey Story" by independent filmmaker Dara McCluskey, that followed Damien's career progression up to the release of "Seize the Day", was broadcast on Ireland's national TV station RTE and shown at film festivals in Ireland and New York.

During 2004 Damien toured extensively headlining his own shows as well as supporting Bob Dylan during the Irish leg of his European tour and making his debut appearances at The Fleadh and Womad.

Damien has earned the passionate support of his peers, one of whom is Morrissey who invited Damien to support him on various UK and Irish dates as well as his autumn 2004 US tour. Morrissey went on to sign Damien to his Attack label, and "Seize the Day" had its U.S. release in October 2004. 

His third album, "Shots", simultaneously released in Ireland and the UK in March 2005, entered the Irish album charts at Number 1 and achieved platinum status in December 2005. The album was also released in the U.S. on United for Opportunity Records in June 2006 and Damien undertook a coast to coast tour.

In February 2006 Damien increased his Meteor Awards by winning in The Best Irish Male category.

Recorded in December 2005 at Dublin's Olympia Theatre and released in June 2006 in both Ireland and the UK, Damien's first live album, "Live at The Olympia", entered the Irish album chart at Number 10.

For the second year in a row Damien won Best Irish Male at the 2007 Meteor Awards.

His new album, "To Hell or Barbados",released world-wide in June 2007 entered the Irish album chart at Number 2.

"It (To Hell or Barbados) confirms Dempsey's position as one of Ireland's great singer-songwriters" - The Guardian (London)

"...one of the greatest songwriters of his generation" - Irish Abroad (USA)

"To Hell or Barbados is folk and roots rock with substance, with the sound of Ireland mixed in for good measure. A most intriguing cocktail." - Billboard

"It's clear from the first moment he sings a note that Damien Dempsey is one astonishingly gifted individual" -The Daily Express, London - 5* review of To Hell or Barbados

"...whip-smart lyrical tours de force...his songwriter's eye for detail astounds.." - HOT PRESS (Shots)

"A phenomenal voice..." - Sunday Times (Seize the Day)

"...Dempsey's arrow-true voice has a liquid quality...this is bold, compelling stuff" - Mojo (Shots)

"...not for the faint hearted...extraordinary" - Q (Shots )

"This is a hearty, fraternal embrace of an album" - Telegraph (Shots)

"If you need to be convinced, look no further; Damien Dempsey is the real thing" -Hotpress (Live at the Olympia)

"...the future of Irish songwriting is in good hands" -Irish American News (Shots)

"...America is about to hear a voice she will not want to forget" - Irish Voice(Shots)

THE CONTENDER EP (1995)

Alright Tonight

Bottle Talk

Rollercoaster

Cardboard City

DUBLIN TOWN (Treasure Island Discs>1997)

Dublin Town (Reggae/Radio Version)

Dublin Town (Acoustic)

THEY DON'T TEACH THIS SHIT IN SCHOOL (2000)

Jealousy

NYC Paddy

Colony

Seanchai

I've No Alibi

Chillin'

It's Important

Bad Time Garda

It's All Good

They Don't Teach This Shit In School

Dublin Town

Beside the Sea

CHILLIN' (2000)

Chillin'

I've No Alibi

Some of These Girls Are Crazy

Bottle Talk

NEGATIVE VIBES EP (2002)

Negative Vibes (radio edit)

Negative Vibes

Ghosts of Overdoses

Jar Song

Factories

NEGATIVE VIBES (2003)

Negative Vibes (Radio Version)

Industrial School

Negative Vibes (Album Version)

SEIZE THE DAY (2003)

Negative Vibes

Ghosts of Overdoses

It's All Good

Factories

Jar Song

Celtic Tiger

Apple of My Eye

Industrial School

Great Gaels of Ireland

Marching Season Seige

Seize the Day (hidden track)

IT'S ALL GOOD (2004)

It's All Good

It's All Good (album version)

Industrial School

APPLE OF MY EYE (2004)

Apple of My Eye

Beside the Sea (Live)

You Were Always on My Mind (Live)

ST. PATRICK'S DAY (2005)

St. Patrick's Day (radio edit)

St. Patrick's Day (album version)

Anywhere You Go

SHOTS (2005)

Sing All Our Cares Away

Not On Your Own Tonight

St. Patrick's Day

Cursed With A Brain

Party On

Colony

Patience

Hold Me

Choctaw Nation

Spraypaint Backalley

HOLD ME (2005)

Hold Me (Radio Edit)

Hold Me (Album Version)

NYC Paddy (from "They Don't Teach This Shit in School")

PATIENCE (2005)

Patience (Single Edit)

Patience (Eno Mix)

Patience (Desert Mix)

Patience (Album Version)

Hold Me (2005)

Hold Me

Schooldays Over

Norwegian Wood

THEY DON'T TEACH THIS SHIT IN SCHOOL (2005)

Jealousy

NYC Paddy

Colony

Seanchai

I've No Alibi

Chillin'

It's Important

Bad Time Garda

It's All Good

They Don't Teach This Shit in School

Dublin Town

Beside the Sea

LIVE AT THE OLYMPIA (2006)

Patience

Party On

Hold Me

Seize the Day

Not On Your Own Tonight

Apple Of My Eye

Sing All Our Cares Away

Negative Vibes

Industrial School

It's All Good

Factories

Colony

SING ALL OUR CARES AWAY (Lamm Records>2006)

Sing All Our Cares Away

Not On Your Own Tonight

Factories

Ghosts of Overdoses

Celtic Tiger

It's All Good

Party On

Patience

Negative Vibes

Apple of My Eye

Spraypaint Backalley

SHOTS (United for Opportunity Records>2006)

Sing All Our Cares Away

Not On Your Own Tonight

St. Patrick's Day

Cursed With A Brain

Party On

Colony

Patience

Hold Me

Choctaw Nation

Spraypaint Backalley

Negative Vibes (Live)

Factories (Live)

TO HELL OR BARBADOS (Cooking Vinyl>2007)

Maasai

Kilburn Stroll

How Strange

Chase the Light

Your Pretty Smile

Serious

Teachers

Summer's In My Heart

To Hell or Barbados

The City

It's All Good (Live)

LINKS

Damien Dempsey>www.damiendempsey.com

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