Francis Dunnery - Fearless (1994)

Review by Kelly McCartney

Making his debut on Atlantic Records, Francis Dunnery hits with a bag of soulful pop/rock songs that is nicely entertaining. He's the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, so Fearless is Dunnery through and through. He even boasts that "this record was made in an A&R free zone." That's quite an admirable accomplishment for a newcomer, but that's just the kind of upstart he is. Fearless kicks off with two grooving tunes, "American Life in the Summertime" and "Homegrown," that are ready-made to sing along with. The first is an interesting observational piece on America as seen through the eyes of an Englishman; the second, you may recognize from sparse radio airplay. Mixing up the styles a bit, "Fade Away" flows with an almost reggae feel; "Climbing Up the Love Tree" leans heavy on the drums, piano flourishes, and understated bassline; and "Couldn't Find a Reason" somehow successfully combines harmonica and tabla with soft harmonies. Sometimes brash, sometimes tender, Dunnery is a clever lyricist so the end result is generally pleasing. His best work is probably yet to come, but Fearless is certainly a fine start.