The Assassin's Apprentice

Fearing teamed with Los Lobos' Steve Berlin as his producer for this new album. Contributions from Richard Thompson and Sarah McLachlan augment Fearing's skilled acoustic guitar playing, which is highlighted on the instrumentals "Lark and Duke" and "Martin's" (dedicated to guitarist Martin Carthy). The archetypal singer/songwriter, Fearing's songs on this album reflect on topics such as loneliness ("Down the Wire"), love ("Give It Up"), and life on the road ("The Life"). He celebrates his "Canadianness" in the invigorating "The Longest Road" and dabbles in the blues with "Lonesome Whistle," popularized by Little Feat more than a decade earlier.