Michael Bernard Fitzgerald: Heart Of It
Poetic lyrics, warm vocals, and deft production combine to lovely effect.
By Kerry Doole
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald: Heart Of It (Independent): The acclaimed singer/songwriter from Calgary released a new album, Love Valley, last week.
In a press release, he explains that "Love Valley is about arriving at calm – a dream destination. Writing this record, I took the time to imagine the ideal place I want to have in my life. I loved painting all of the details, and finding times to revisit them from song to song."
Heart Of It is the opening track, and Fitzgerald describes it this way: "I feel like I've arrived at the place I've been dreaming of. I can see it all – I feel myself driving home and parking by the barn. Heart Of It is about the person that seams it all together. It's a proclamation of simple love. The setting is significant, but the person is at the heart of it. We can have that person at the heart of our own story, and at the same time be that for theirs.
"I enjoyed having permission to consider the elements – taking the time to really think about it. What the place looks like, how it feels, who is there. It's been nice to have an invitation to dream, especially now as we are all so isolated these days. I hope you think about your own calm destination in the same way while you listen."
This wish that the song encourages quiet reflection on the listener's part is fulfilled thanks to its superb craftsmanship. Fitzgerald has a poet's eye for detail (ever heard Adirondack chairs cited in a song before?), and his warm vocals are framed by subtle and deft production touches.
Love Valley is MBF's fifth full-length album, and his earlier work has earned him an international audience and made him a folk fest favourite.
A road warrior, he has continued, in a safe fashion, to tour during the lockdown, by creating a travelling open-air venue called The Greenbriar and performing small, socially distanced concerts. He will perform 21 Greenbriar gigs in the UK in spring 2021, showing you can't keep a good troubadour down.
Links
Publicity: Tiffany Astle, Penelopepr
Booking Agents: Jeremy Giacomin / Todd Jordan For Paquin Artists Agency (Canada) - Sarah Casey / Elie Low for UTA UK/EUR
Rogers Stadium during a rainy walkthrough in 2025.Courtesy Photo