Belfast singer-songwriter Kennedy has been around since the late 80s but has yet to achieve the success he deserves, although he comes highly recommended by the likes of Steve Earle and Van Morrison.

The Sailor’s Revenge leans much more on the Celtic soul direction than some of his earlier more countrified albums. However, with production and sterling guitar work from Mark Knopfler and his current band, featuring some gifted Celtic players like John McCusker and Michael McGoldrick as well as the great Jerry Douglas on dobro, Kennedy has truly made his mark here with his storytelling.

Tracks like ‘Jimmy Sanchez’ and the epic immigration song ‘Cold Celtic Sea’ are incredibly moving and go somewhere else again with McGoldrick’s magnificent flute and whistle playing. For me this is one of the year’s best releases.