Not yet turned twenty, 'Christmas Lights In April' is Ken Pomeroy’s third album release - her second on Horton Records. Folk and Tumble first encountered Ms. Pomeroy’s talent in 2018 when 'Hallways' was released at the age of fifteen. It’s impossible not to make comparisons to Taylor Swift. In fact, she could be Ms. Swift’s equally talented younger sister. There are similarities but Ken Pomeroy is her own woman and is definitely one to watch.
Why she hasn’t come to more prominence already is anybody’s guess? She’s an old hand now, having started creating music at the age of nine. Something of a prodigy, her songwriting is prolific, profound and clearly, she is a perfectionist when it comes to creating her own sound.
In our review of ‘Hallways’ three years ago, she was described as “an old head on young shoulders”. Her capacity for insightful observation and deep-running emotions is really quite remarkable. Perhaps there is something innate at work. She is a Cherokee singer-songwriter from Moore, Oklahoma and all of these ten tracks were written between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. Quite remarkable really.
She has been compared to Joni Mitchell and certainly Spotify agreed. That wise old algorithm threw up Ms. Mitchell’s ‘Blue’ after listening to ‘Christmas Lights In April’ on that particular streaming service.
The opening track of ‘Christmas Lights In April’, ‘Joan’ is exceptional. A beautiful, memorable melodic treat and Ken Pomeroy’s voice is an absolute joy to listen to. She deserves more recognition. Although still a teenager, she has clearly and completely demonstrated her brilliance in this third album.
While ‘Joan’ is outstanding, ‘Magnolia’ is equally melodic and memorable.
‘Christmas Lights In April’ – the title track – may not technically be a Christmas song but then, neither is Joni Mitchell’s ‘The River’ but you get the drift. This title track is a beautiful, poetic, and gentle song.
Coming of age, Ken Pomeroy has stepped aside from using metaphor to explain herself, transitioning to a more open, expressive form of songwriting, steeped in exploration of her own feelings and emotions.
Released in December, ‘Christmas Lights In April’ coincides with the Christmas lights glittering across the globe. Ken Pomeroy is a star in the making. And although she has toured across the US and Europe, even supporting the queen of rockabilly Wanda Jackson, and winning the inaugural Jimmy Lafave songwriting contest, I have a feeling that her time has come. With ‘Christmas Lights In April’, she’s all set to shine.