Album Review

Dawn Kinnard – The Courtesy Fall

• 14th Apr 2008

Dawn Kinnard’s the daughter of a preacher man… (That didn’t work half as well as I’d imagined, sorry Dusty!). With a sultry cool swagger propelling her piano/string rooted sound, Dawn Kinnard (DK) and her debut LP ‘The Courtesy Fall’ righteously stand loud and proud amidst any similar competition (Fine Frenzy, McKay, Amy MacDonald, Cerys Matthews, Regina Spektor).

The grounded, real-life subject matter of her song-writing flourishes with the sublime delivery and musicianship, both of which are inarguably sumptuous. The subtle sense of woeful weariness in DKs fluent vocal adds just enough weight to its ever shifting accompaniment that from Nashville to New York will surely have the spotlight firmly fixed on DK this year.

LP opener ‘All in your Head’ and the closer ‘White Walls’ are highlights on an opulent LP that’s encrusted with sonic gems.