Foy Vance - Hope (2007)

Traveling to Dublin last autumn i picked up on an English/Irish artist called Foy Vance [allmusic link] . Since the early 00's we've been tuning in to almost only singer/songwriters especially here in Norway, and I've started to grow tired of the constant stream of both mediocre melodies and artists. But Foy Vance really hit me. His stunning vocal performances and lyrics complimented by easy and straightforward arrangements really made the difference for me.
So when we landed in Dublin i bought three copies of his debut cd "Hope". One for me, one for my girlfriend and one for the friend who introduced me to him (I had to buy them in Dublin since you couldn't get any copies here in Norway)

Tracklist

Be With Me
Shed a Little Light
Doesn't Take a Whole Day
Fifteen
I Was Made
Treading Water
Gabriel and the Vagabond
First of July
Elshaneed
Indiscriminate Act of Kindness
Hope, Peace and Love
If you could only see yourself like i See you
Dry Wells
Pull me through
Two Shades of Hope

My personal favorites on this album must be the heart wrenching "Two Shades of Hope", "Gabriel and the Vagabond" and "Indiscriminate Act of Kindness", whereas the later one has a vocal performance which is stunningly good.
If you are tired of the Dime-a-dozen singer songwriter, Foy Vance is a good choice. He takes it back to people like Nina Simone and Jeff Buckley, both musically and spiritually.

Official Website (Foy Vance)
Allmusic link to the Record