Self-released

****1/2

Shea Rafferty is one of the UK’s very best ‘unknown’ songwriters and a passionate vocalist and committed performer as well. In this sublimely written, perfectly timed release, he deftly frames the tumult of today with both sentimentality and optimism. One imagines that he is drawing from personal experience while also voicing the perspective of many, who are dreaming of a better tomorrow while enduring the economic, environmental, and political challenges of today. He appears resilient yet troubled, hopeful yet realistic, confident yet melancholy. A master of full disclosure, he outs himself as an unrepentant voice that will inspire a nod of recognition from anyone who’s stared into the abyss, yet found the power to keep moving forward, one step at a time. Overflowing with musical ideas that simply defy categorisation, he manages to be both refreshingly original and reliably familiar. Credit to producer Ed Harcourt, who also plays guitar, bass and keyboards, alongside Cristiano Pochesci (lead guitar; pedal steel; mandolin), Gate Allard (drums; percussion) with Shea on acoustic guitar.

Shea’s melodic sensibilities have always been there, but he shows a prowess—a true love even—for a catchy melody and memorable hook or chorus. An artist working at the height of his considerable powers, this third album shows him navigating a variety of sonic contexts while demonstrating his vocal, lyrical, and emotional range.The Storm is exciting, dynamic, rootsy rock that features guitar-led music that only wants to bring the song to fruition. Steel and electric guitar providing colours and textures that don’t scream for the spotlight but instead enhance the larger sonic picture. Shea’s music has always had an excellent Americana sensibility, and he brings that to the fore with the observational Blowin’ Smoke. An outsider’s view of the state of the World and more specifically the USA. Pedal steel, which dominates the track, isn’t jamming, but is more meditative, the emphasis on channeling the feelings of the moment and not on guitar heroics. Nashville Life has a classic country sound as Shea paints the clearest vision of what Music City is all about for both a musician and a music fan. Cristiano’s electric and pedal steel guitar hold the song together. The rhythm section reinforcing his work but mostly giving the sublime lyrics space to work their magic. 

More intense, inspirational and intriguing than ever before, Self Inflicted is full of interesting contradictions as Shea opens up with his innermost thoughts that seem quite universal. The studio band doesn’t necessarily show off on this number but plays it straight and tight the whole way through—just the way it should be. On a tune like the reflective Livin’ the music provides a simple point of departure for a sweet vocal line, with Cristiano’s pedal steel popping in to provide mood contrast, sounding almost like a beautiful bird sweetly crying against the melody. Lyrically, one of the strongest and most memorable songs on the album. The catchy Candle Is Burning is just one example of the bits of wisdom left for listeners throughout. The defiant The Lucky One should have audiences singing along triumphantly, while The Trouble Times, a song close to Shea’s heart, encapsulates the Northern Ireland troubles from a personal perspective that rings so true. He closes with the delicate Be At Peace, traversing a melancholy terrain with just acoustic guitar, drums, ethereal pedal steel and voice, but even with the limited timbres, it feels like a much denser experience. His observations even more relevant and hopeful. One of those records that will shine brightly in the underground forever. By the end of LIVIN’, you’re left with strong songs and an even stronger sense of who Shea Rafferty is as an artist. It’s plainly obvious that pleasure was taken in the making of this body of work, and we are richer for inheriting it—to listen to and embrace. This is legacy.

https://www.shearaffertymusic.com

August 2026