Ken Sharp—New Mourning
New Mourning is a 14-track song cycle navigating the beauty in darkness, loss and regret. From the torrid power pop muscle of “Dynamite and Kerosene,” “Burn & Crash,” and “Bad News” to the fragile intimate ballads “1000 Guitars” and “Haunts Me,” the album is a consummate sonic journey that leaves its share of musical blood on the tracks.
“My co-producer Fernando Perdomo has described the record as ‘the feel-bad album of the year, but in a good way,’” said Sharp, “and that’s an apt description. The darkness and emotional turmoil I‘ve gone through in the last few years are laid bare on the record.”
Produced by Sharp and Fernando Perdomo—whose credits include work by Todd Rundgren and Jakob Dylan—the record showcases musical contributions from Rick Springfield (“Burn & Crash,” “Satellite”), guitarist Wally Stocker of the Babys (“Dynamite and Kerosene,” “Loser”) bassist Prescott Niles of the Knack (“Mr. Know It All,” “Dynamite and Kerosene”) and keyboardist Jimmy Waldo of New England (“Satellite”) alongside the team of Perdomo and gifted musicians Rob Bonfiglio (Wanderlust/Wilson Phillips) and Ritchie Rubini (the Caulfields).
New Mourning is Sharp’s fourth album and his first in nine years. His last CD, Sonic Crayons, received raves in USA Today and garnered a four-star review in MOJO magazine, with writer Mat Snow championing Sharp as a shining light in the world of power pop.
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“With his new CD, Ken continues to explore the essence of power pop, this time with a harder edge, and some fine guitar and vocal work from Rick Springfield. He's also found a new depth and confidence in his lyric writing, his voice and his production on this new recording. It's his best work yet!" —Eric Carmen
"New Mourning is a tour-de-force delivering perfectly blended driving guitar riffs with beautiful pop melodies. Highly recommended." —Pat Prince/Goldmine magazine
About Ken Sharp: "Ken Sharp is a New York Times best-selling writer who has authored or co-authored more than 18 music books, contributes to a variety of national music magazines, works on music documentaries and has done liner notes for releases by Elvis Presley, Sly and the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Small Faces, Santana, Cheap Trick and others."
