Tommy Fleming is one of the few Irish singers who’s capable of delivering songs with a lightness of touch while still imbuing them with conviction and drama. Whereas other singers of his genre can’t resist over-emoting at every opportunity, Fleming does the reverse.
Judging a CD by its tracklist can be as misleading as judging by its cover. You may not feel that the world needs yet another version of Phil Coulter’s ‘Scorn Not His Simplicity’, ‘Four Green Fields’ or ‘Summer In Dublin’, but Fleming’s vocal range and his sensitivity breathes new life into them, and his take on the Coulter song reminds us what an aching composition it really is. ‘We Belong’ has a gutsy viola part from Máire Breatnach, Fleming’s take on ‘Mystic Lipstick’ is arguably the best version of the Jimmy McCarthy song yet, and he steals Danny Whitten’s ‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It’ back from Rod Stewart’s hackneyed clutches.
Fleming adds lustrous harmonies to ‘Open Sky’, and the title track packs a welcome punch too, although his version of ‘The Lakes of Ponchartrain’ sounds anaemic alongside Paul Brady’s. If Fleming occasionally errs on the side of blandness, the album is well bolstered by such musicians as Bill Shanley and David Hayes, and the studio skills of Ciaran Byrne. Add this one to next month’s shopping list.