Sherman Downey has released his much-anticipated 3rd album New Beautiful
Sherman Downey’s latest collection of songs, New Beautiful, offers a pinch of escapism and a glimpse at a brighter alternative. It tells stories of folks who find contentment in the things they have and those who long for home after craving escape.
Audiences and listeners will be happy to hear Sherman’s familiar style of character-driven songs that continue to embrace the folk and country roots on which he cut his teeth. But they will also notice new musical explorations. He switches from straight-up keyboard-driven pop to gritty up-close-and-personal stories on parlour guitar and piano, with lush strings and horns sweeping throughout.
“Touring solo and writing without input in regards to the old band instrumentation definitely led me more towards horns and strings on the album,” he said, “mostly because when demoing, I sat down with a guitar and a synth instead of having the boys in the band shape the songwriting process.”
Sherman’s lyrics often speak to those who yearn for a little change in their day to day routine.
“Front Porch,” he said, is about a character who likes to sit with his tea on the porch and daydream about adventure.
“Long Goodbye” is about a lady Sherman met in a small gas station in Ontario.”
“I pulled over to fill up, and we got to chatting about me being on the road, and so I asked her if she’d like to come along,” he explained. “The seconds she took to consider it inspired the song.”
It has been several years since The Sun in Your Eyes established Sherman as one of our premier singer-songwriters, and New Beautiful reminds us of the tremendous talent and endearing charm that has continued to make him one of our favourite story-tellers.
Sherman’s debut album, Honey for Bees, was well received by fans and critics alike, earning him MusicNL’s Male Artist of the Year award and broadening his reach on an international stage. His highly anticipated second release, The Sun In Your Eyes, was awarded MusicNL’s Pop/Rock Recording of the Year and given Newfoundland and Labrador’s SOCAN Songwriter of the Year distinction as well as an ECMA nomination for Group Recording of the Year for him and his band, The Ambiguous Case. The album’s first single, “Thick as Thieves,” went on to win Sherman the CBC’s inaugural Searchlight Prize as Canada’s Best New Artist while increasing his profile as a touring act with a growing fan base.
New Beautiful was recorded at Echo Lake Studios and produced by multi-award-winning producer Daniel Ledwell. Together, they bring a new direction and a new energy to Sherman’s songs.
