Stephen Fearing: Unsung No More

That's How I Walk
Stephen Fearing
True North Records, 2002

Record Review by Nathan Sloniowski

Stephen Fearing. If you'd asked me 10 years back I'd have identified him as one of those great singing but unsung Canadian folk icons hiding out in BC with Valdy. Multi-Juno nominations. A solid rep for melancholy, soulful songwriting. A cult following among other musicians. A master of the six-string. And, as too often goes with that territory, no real radio hits or fan-base in the mainstream.

That underground and (likely) underpaid stance started to change with Fearing's move to southern Ontario in 1994, which had far more to do with pursuing a woman (he is now married to her) than pursuing fame.

But it turned out to be a good move for his career as well. He was situated inside a much larger performing arts scene, was the "new new folk thing" from the Left Coast and, perhaps most importantly, hooked up with blues brother Colin Linden (guitar sideman for Leon Redbone, David Wilcox, solo artist and prolific producer of Bruce Cockburn and Colin James), and rocker brother Tom Wilson (Florida Razors, Junkhouse, assorted Neville Brothers and Nashville projects).

This talent-rich, road-tempered trio share a love of Willie P. Bennett, who in the early 70's was, well, a lot like Stephen Fearing in the early 90's. In honour of Willie (who thankfully, didn't give up music despite being ignored by almost everyone except musicians, and is now enjoying a resurgence as both a solo artist and the hardest-working mandolin player in Fred Eaglesmith's band), Fearing, Linden and Wilson formed Blackie & the Rodeo Kings (BARK). BARK has gone over BIG on radio stations and in concert halls across North America. The band's second CD in 2000, Kings of Love, won the music-biz-anointing Juno that Fearing has been personally nominated for a handful of times.

While I totally dig Linden's gorgeous lead guitar work and Wilson's deep-as-the-earth vocals and gritty lyrics, in my books Stephen Fearing is the secret caramel hidden inside the BARK chocolate.

To know and understand BARK is to begin to understand Stephen Fearing's new CD, That's How I Walk. Linden co-produced it and Wilson co-writes (as do several others, who undoubtedly nudged the sometimes lyric-starved Fearing to ride the train while the glory's good). It in no way resembles an underground folkie statement made only for the ears and accolades of other musicians.

Instead, I think it's Fearing's most ambitious, fearless effort ever, and should find a wide and supportive audience on both sides of the border. Not to say there's "no folk inside" this new CD, but what's also inside is some swampy slide-guitar Americana (Like the Way You Said), cutting political commentary on the oxymoron that is "Free World Democracy" (Rave on Captain) and loving instrumental touches with horns (Town Called Jesus) and strings (Showbiz, Glory Train, When My Baby Calls My Name).

Fans of the "pure folkie Stephen" will be happy to know that the instrumentation, which also includes liberal use of Hammond-style organs and stick-drums, never puts Fearing in the back seat of his own artistic wheels. His trademark silky laid-back vocals are up in front of the mix where they need to be on all 14 tracks, as is his often stunning and rhythm-centred guitar work.

What we have with That's How I Walk is a courageous earful of a best-to-date album from an artist who's not afraid to break his own mold. How's it going to do? Well, StephenFearing.com shows a gruelling touring schedule. As important, in Canada the record's been picked up and promoted by Bruce Cockburn's label, True North. And in January, 2003 it comes out in the USA on that country's powerful folk-roots label, Rounder Records.

Stephen Fearing, unsung no more.

-Nathan Sloniowski is a band member of The Ragged Flowers and is also on the folkus Concert Series Committee that is bringing Stephen Fearing to Almonte Sat. Oct. 26th at The Old Town Hall. Tickets are $15, and are available from The Miller's Tale, 52 Mill St. (256-9090).