John McKeown - Fade Away (Beatroute Records)

It can be a tough life being a singer-songwriter, and for some unexplained reason the male of the species seems to have it worse of all, frequently having to justify his existence within a gene pool that has a low threshold for newcomers and voices saturation point with vitriolic criticism.

Justification of the male singer-songwriter existence can be just as tough; often met with scathing accusations of carrying middle class guilt, being pretentious, arrogant, self-serving, annoyingly upbeat or far too melancholic, it's a fine line to tread and enough to make you wonder what male singer-songwriters are expected to sing and write songs about.

But on the basis of his debut single, John McKeown shouldn't have to endure any of the trails and tribulations associated with his genre. In essence, 'Fade Away' is a softly understated confession of honesty and one that spread across the lonely companionship of an acoustic guitar, sympathetic piano and vocal of pained warmth is so innately pitched between confidence and diffidence that the lines of distinction are suitably blurred with intoxicating clarity.

Compelling, subtly forceful and strangely optimistic, 'Fade Away' is not only a perfect introduction to John McKeown, but also the perfect ambassador for debut album Things Worth Fighting For.

Rating: 4/5

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Artist: John McKeown Title: Pie Jesu Released: 12/09/2000 Buy Now \| View Details

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John McKeown - Fade Away (Beatroute Records)
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John McKeown on MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/johnmckeownandco

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John McKeown's official site
http://www.johnmckeown.net/

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Beatroute Records' website
http://www.beatrouterecords.co.uk/

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