In the tradition of hard working, travelling troubadours, Irishman Foy Vance is right up there with some of very best, helped along by his association with Ed Sheeran, and the millions of fans that come with that. He's toured with him all over the world, and they've written songs together. In fact their relationship continues to blossom; Vance's new album is being released on Sheeran's nascent Gingerbread Man label. Moreover, Vance possesses a tattoo on his forearm that features a line from his ‘Guiding Light’ song that often closes his live sets, and which appeared on his previous album, Joy of Nothing. "When I need to get home, you're the light that guides me", and which has been translated into Gaelic and written in Sheeran's handwriting. As the epitome of brotherly love and mutual respect, Sheeran in turn has the same line on his arm, but in Vance's handwriting.

Vance is already in his early forties, just about old enough to be Sheeran's father, but he only really got going at the turn of the millennium, at about the age Sheeran is now. Back in the mid-2000s you may have been one of the very lucky few to have seen him perform in Brighton's Mint Cafe, then situated in The Laines. From there to Madison Square Garden and Wembley Stadium, hanging out with Beyonce, Jay-Z and other premier league musicians and actors, it's been a hell of a journey so far.

Has this new found status infected his earthy character and musical personality? It seems not, for on this, his third full length release, Vance's continuing spiritual quest, largely wrapped up in a big-hearted roosty-folk acoustica, remains undiminished; his voice proving again to be a thing of majestic power and awe-inspiring dynamism. Anyone who has seen him live will testify to his unyielding, almost hypnotising capacity to lose himself in song.

Here, from the hushed intimacy of ‘Coco’ (James Taylor) to the vocal volcanic eruptions of ‘Ziggy Looked Me In The Eye’, Vance is on fire, fuelled by this indomitable urge to fight on, his inner spirit a positive force for love and living, the unfussy musicianship throughout providing the basis for Vance to blast away those blues. And while the influence of fellow Irishman Van Morrison is still apparent, on songs such as the nostalgic ‘Bangor Town’ (where he was brought up), he's broadening his style a little more. Beginning with the reverbed guitar and slapped bass that inhabit the celebratory ‘Noam Chomsky Is A Soft Revolution’ (Where Vance namechecks a number of musical, sporting, literary and political insurrectionists) and closing with the gentle folk-droning of ‘The Wild Swans of the Lake’, based on W.B.Yeats' poem, originally written about the poet's search for a lasting beauty in a world where beauty is but temporary.

In between there are plenty of classy soulful songs such as the New Orleans vibes of ‘Upbeat Feelgood’, the short and sweet country flavoured ‘Coco’, a song written about Courtney Cox's daughter, the slow grooving acoustic simplicity of the uplifting ‘Burden’ ("Let me carry your burden / If something's not right, I will let you know"), and the equally simple yet effective ‘She Burns’, a song with anthemic qualities, but which once again manages to steer clear of over-wroughtness.

Turning to the piano for three successive deeply emotional songs – ‘Be Like You Belong’, ‘Unlike Any Other’ and ‘Ziggy Looked Me In The Eye’ – Vance may not be saying anything particularly original, but there's never any doubting his sincerity, as he continues to explore themes of love, and fighting the good fight. "Don't ever lose your will to fight / It's hard work but it will be worth it / Because we are the children of the revolution / never let your spirit die.”

Vance has said that, “Ed has been a blessing, because he didn’t want me to feel any pressure. He wanted me to go and make whatever record I felt I wanted to make, and he would deal with the outcome.” But with Sheeran and Sir Elton John intimately involved (John is the executive producer for the album, and Vance will be supporting him on a number of mega-gigs this summer) he'll surely be getting all the attention he thoroughly deserves.
Jeff Hemmings

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