Honestly, if you were anywhere near a radio or a Spotify playlist in late 2019, you couldn't escape it. That raspy, gravel-and-honey voice. The kind of singing that sounds like someone is literally tearing their heart out in a recording booth. Dermot Kennedy Without Fear wasn’t just a debut album; it was a total atmospheric shift for Irish music.
It’s been a few years now, but the record has this weird staying power. It doesn't feel like a "period piece" of the late 2010s. It feels permanent. Maybe that’s because Dermot spent nearly a decade busking on Grafton Street before he even set foot in a major studio. He wasn't some manufactured pop star. He was a guy who knew exactly how to stop a person in their tracks on a rainy Dublin afternoon.
The Sound That Confused (and Charmed) the Critics
When Without Fear first dropped on October 4, 2019, critics didn't quite know where to put it. Was it folk? Was it hip-hop? The production had these massive, booming Mike Dean-style drums, but the lyrics were pure Van Morrison-esque poetry.
Take a track like "An Evening I Will Not Forget." The album version is this sprawling, cinematic beast. It starts with just a ghost of a piano and Dermot’s sandpaper vocals, but then the beat kicks in. It’s heavy. It’s aggressive. It shouldn't work with a "singer-songwriter" vibe, yet it’s arguably the heart of the whole project. Dermot has said himself that this song contains everything he wants his music to be—the grit of hip-hop mixed with the vulnerability of a guy with a guitar.
Some reviewers, like the folks at The Guardian, found it a bit "homogenous" at the time. They gave it three stars. But fans? Fans went nuclear. The album didn't just climb the charts; it sat at Number 1 in Ireland for 27 non-consecutive weeks. That’s not a "hit." That’s a cultural residency.
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Why "Without Fear" Is a Wish, Not a Fact
There’s a common misconception that the title Without Fear means Dermot is this fearless, untouchable guy.
Actually, it’s the opposite.
In an interview with iHeartRadio around the launch, he admitted that the title was more of a "wish" or a message to himself. It’s about trying to live that way, even when you’re terrified. You can hear that tension in "Outnumbered." It’s a song about being overwhelmed, but choosing to believe there’s safety on the other side.
Then you have "Lost." > "I'll need your spine to hide behind for fear of moments stolen."
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That’s not the lyricism of someone who isn't afraid. It’s the writing of someone who is deeply aware of how fragile everything is. The "fear" in the title refers to the finite nature of life. Dermot’s obsessed with the idea that we only have a certain amount of time, so we might as well make the art that actually matters.
The Tracks Most People Miss
Everyone knows "Power Over Me." It’s a massive pop anthem. It’s great. But the real meat of Without Fear is hidden in the B-sides and the "Complete Edition" tracks that came later.
- "The Killer Was a Coward": This one was a fan favorite from his live shows for years before it finally got a studio release. It’s haunting. It feels like a secret.
- "Rome": A brutal reflection on a relationship that broke "in the blink of an eye." It’s one of the few moments on the album where the production steps back and lets the raw vocal do the heavy lifting.
- "Dancing Under Red Skies": Dermot wrote this when he was only 17. Think about that. Most of us were struggling with basic algebra at 17, and he was writing lyrics about "numb desperation."
The album moves from these dark, urban-influenced beats to soaring, almost religious crescendos. It’s why his live shows are often described as "church for people who don't go to church." He’s chasing an "intense emotion" rather than a catchy hook.
The Busker Pedigree
You can’t talk about this album without talking about his influences. He’s a massive fan of Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and Glen Hansard. You can see the Hansard influence in the way he pushes his voice until it almost breaks. It’s that "all-in" style of performing.
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He didn't have a band to hide behind for years. He just had a rug, a guitar, and a battery-powered amp. If you can’t make people stop and listen while they're rushing to catch a bus, you won't make it as a busker. That "Grafton Street energy" is baked into every track on Without Fear. It’s urgent. It’s demanding.
What This Album Actually Changed
Before Dermot, the "Irish singer-songwriter" niche was getting a bit predictable. He broke the mold by refusing to be just a folk artist. He wanted the Travis Scott-style low end and the Kendrick Lamar-style storytelling.
It worked. Without Fear became the fastest-selling debut album in Ireland of the 21st century. It even knocked some major global superstars off the top spot in the UK.
But beyond the numbers, it gave a certain type of listener a voice. It’s music for the "overthinkers." For the people who feel things a bit too deeply. It’s not "background music." If you try to play this at a casual dinner party, someone is going to end up staring into their wine glass thinking about their ex by the third track.
How to Actually Experience the Record
If you're just getting into Dermot Kennedy or revisiting the album, don't just shuffle it. The tracklist was curated to tell a specific narrative of growth and resilience.
- Listen to the "Lost In The Soft Light" sessions. These are stripped-back versions of the album tracks. If you find the studio production a bit too "pop," these live-in-studio takes will change your mind.
- Watch the "Outnumbered" music video. It captures that sense of community and support that the song is actually about.
- Pay attention to the transitions. Notice how "Rome" leads into "Outnumbered." It’s a deliberate shift from isolation to connection.
- Read the lyrics. Seriously. Dermot considers himself a poet first. Lyrics like "Lead with the heart, ain't that the only way?" from the title track are the core philosophy of his entire career.
The best way to respect the work is to give it your full attention. Turn off the notifications, put on some decent headphones, and let the "sandpaper voice" do its thing. You might find that living "without fear" isn't about being brave—it's just about showing up anyway.