KATHY STEWART - Almost Home

Our home grown CD this time around comes from Borders based KATHY STEWART
Although a native New Yorker, singer songwriter Kathy has lived over here for over 30 years. In that time she has been seen performing with the likes of John Hinshelwood, The City Sinners and Another Country (I still have a couple of Another Country’s cassettes in the library!), and she has opened for the likes of Tom Russell and George Hamilton IV, and even had a song recorded by Vince Gill. Her first solo release earned her HMV’s Best Country Newcomer title back in 2009.
Her third album, “Almost Home”(Treehouse Records) has just been released. It’s a really lovely listen, although probably leans more towards folk and celtic than Country music.
Recorded in Penicuik, with Dave Gray, the album features Kathy’s band The Frequent Flyers.
Stand out tracks for me, included “Old Campaigners”, with it’s simple piano backing and the opening track “The Shine On You”, which had echoes of Mary Chapin running through it.
I have to say that I also enjoyed “Leaving (A Ghost’s Lament)”, a beautiful song, with some lovely violin and pipes. But Kathy’s vocal delivery really makes it for me.
Kathy wrote all but one of the 10 tracks on the album. The exception is “First Robin Of Springtime”, written by Canadian Bruce Murdoch. Another track, the rather bluesy “Go To Bed Happy” was co-written with fellow Borders writer Bob Lawson”.
In the main, not a Country album, but, nevertheless, it’s a beautiful listen.