Louisville, Kentucky’s Dewey Kincade has never been one to stick to a single sound, so it’s no shock that his new album, 'The Dark Ages', is a genre-traversing mammoth. A singer-songwriter whose past includes punk-prog outfit Satori and folk-band The Fellow Travelers, Kincade pours all his experience into this 14-track emotional odyssey, backed by a sprawling cast of local collaborators, The Navigators included.
This record is a raw and uncompromising account of a personal reckoning: trading the wild New York music scene for the grounded, messy reality of family life back home. Throughout, Dewey uses his past experiences and personal style to build a story that is vibrant, honest, and lived-in. It’s a rock album, sure, but it’s loaded with folk grit, Americana reflection, and sharp bursts of funk.
As Dewey himself said of the collection, "Like many of its predecessors, the album traverses genres from the folkie to the funky; from pop to a bit of punk, and while the album began in darkness, it is a journey towards the light, which tries to have some fun along the way."
The fun is certainly there, but the journey starts with a punch. Opener 'Tied to the Rhythm' hits immediately with a kinetic, anthemic feel. Dewey’s rugged vocals are draped in a vintage texture, while horn stabs and a relentless groove hook you in, daring you not to move. Following on, the dramatic 'Down in the Valley Again' builds a genuinely theatrical tension, using layered strings, organ, and punchy percussion to mirror personal and societal chaos.
But he also knows when to pull back. The bluesy shuffle of 'We’re All Alone in This Together' offers a moment of empathy, while 'Pissed It All Away' strips the sound right back to sparse harmonica and organ, offering up a moment of startling vulnerability. It's this masterful control of dynamics that keeps the lengthy track list from dragging.
Produced by Grammy-nominated Andrew McKenna Lee, the album feels both meticulously arranged and cathartically raw, managing to give a communal spirit to Dewey’s very personal reflections. The clarity of purpose is unmistakable; this isn't about chasing the charts. This is the sound of an artist channelling life's deferred dreams and hard-won resilience into vital rock storytelling, an outcome even the creator seemed surprised by.
"I don't know why I wrote these songs. I thought my music career was over, and they would never see the light of day," Dewey admits. Fortunately for us, they did. Closer 'Up Around the Bend' wraps things up with a perfect gospel-tinged glimmer of liberation and hope, reminding listeners that even after the darkest seasons, renewal is possible.
'The Dark Ages' is a masterclass in proving that the full album still matters, a rewarding emotional and musical odyssey from an artist finding meaning in an unexpected chapter. You can stream the album above via Spotify, and for more, be sure to follow Dewey Kincade today on Facebook.
