Desmond The Songwriter Drops A New Album

When Jamaican singer desmond the songwriter began production on his second album in 2022, capitalising on the favourable reception to his debut was foremost in his thoughts.

To achieve that, the New York-based artiste assembled a solid cast of musicians for “Another Guess Coming” which was independently released in February. It is the follow-up to “Happiness Is Priceless” which came out in 2020.

That set made the British publication Pop Magazine’s Top 50 Albums of 2020. That table contained albums by heavy-hitters such as John Legend, Taylor Swift, and Alicia Keys.

Determined to make an even stronger impact, desmond the songwriter adapted a more hands-on approach to “Another Guess Coming.”

“When I was producing the first album, I allowed my team more latitude in their input. However, because I exercised more creative control on “Another Guess Coming,” it created more tension in the production process and as this tension was released, it led to an overall better quality project in the songwriting, production, and vocal and instrumental performances,” he said.

Most of the musicians on the new album have distinguished themselves in reggae. They include saxophonist Dean Fraser, guitarist Andy Bassford, keyboardist Sidney Mills of Steel Pulse fame, and drummer Desi Jones, best known for his work with Chalice and Monty Alexander.

While he selected musicians with strong reggae credentials, desmond the songwriter is not your typical Jamaican artiste. The songs on “Another Guess Coming” touch on jazz (“Makes Me Stronger”), pop (“Mary Jane”) and folk (“Work I’m Sorry”).

It is that eclectic drive that impressed editors at Pop Magazine and influenced the bespectacled vocalist to look beyond traditional markets for his work.

“While I have a fanbase in the US that supports me, I have always felt that the European and more specifically the British audience is more into music for its own sake, as opposed to the American audience that appears to be more into celebrity,” he explained. “So, I am not surprised that I am getting more critical acclaim and attention from across the Atlantic Ocean.”

Born in Kingston, desmond the songwriter developed an early appreciation for the music of Bob Marley, but was also drawn to jazz and gospel. There are elements of both genres on “Happiness Is Priceless” and “Another Guess Coming”.

A fan of contemporary Christian music, he has his eyes on that market.

“I grew up singing gospel music and still write and perform gospel music. I have enough material to produce a gospel album and plan to do so soon,” said desmond the songwriter.​

(Photo courtesy of desmond the songwriter)