My Love Will Keep

iTunes Review

My Love Will Keep — Jonathan Edwards' first album in 14 years — reaffirms what the singer/songwriter has done well for nearly half a century. Edwards’ high-tenor vocals are in fine shape, conveying the same honesty and independence that made his tune “Sunshine” a 1972 hit. He brings natural warmth to both life-affirming anthems like “Surrounded” and “This Island Earth” and wistful love tunes like “Tomorrow’s Gonna Come” and the title track. Interspersing cover songs with his own material, Edwards pays tribute to the seafaring life (“Lightkeeper,” “Sailor’s Prayer”), toasts high-spirited ladies (“Crazy Texas Woman,”” Freewheeler”) and salutes his departed peer John Denver (“Johnny Blue Horizon”). Worth special notice is his version of the Beatles’ “She Loves You,” re-imagined as a heartfelt ballad. Edwards surrounds himself with a fine crew of folk and bluegrass pickers, with Claire Lynch playing a crucial supporting role on background vocals. The overall mood of the album is homespun, a little wistful but always infused with optimism.