That's How I Walk

Stephen Fearing has a voice any Richard Thompson fan could love. He lingers on the same notes and trails off in the same resigned glee. (“The Finest Kind,” with Shawn Colvin harmonizing, could be mistaken for Sir Richard). The road and its endless miles, love and its limitless joys and difficulties, and a romantic sense of grandeur all pull at Fearing to make poetic sense of a world that’s always threatening to exceed his grasp. The night is always falling and lovers call each other’s names in joyful hope. Over the years, the Canadian troubadour has added many of the usual trappings of contemporary folk — organ, strings, horns, duets — without losing his rough-hewn strengths. “Black Silk Gown” kicks, with Fearing’s dexterous acoustic guitar shimmering upfront. “Wailing Wall” offers up, “Please don’t get too sentimental, the past is just the past.” Fearing knows it’s a tricky balance he achieves, made possible by a voice whose natural crease rejects cheap sentiment. It’s why a tune as gentle as “When My Baby Calls My Name” maintains an energizing sense of urgency within its sweet lyricism.