Review: Michael Weston King – Nothing Can Hurt Me Anymore
Michael Weston King – Nothing Can Hurt Me Anymore
Format: CD – Digital
Label: Continental Song City – Continental Record Services
Release: 2026
Text: Bert van Kessel
In 2024 Michael Weston King and his wife Lou Dalgliesh were working on a new My Darling Clementine album when disaster struck. In the infamous Stockport killings their granddaughter Bebe was stabbed to death. The ensuing grief was overwhelming. They had to decide to try and deal with it through musicianship and creativity.
So there were to be two indiidual solo albums. And the first one to be released is Michael’s. Lou’s will be released later this year. And it proves to be true what they say: misery does produce beauty and what a beautiful, personal and itimate album this has become which surely does justice to his love for that little girl and the immense sadness after her death.
This full-band production was partly recorded in rural Wales en partly in Sheffield. Excelling musicians include Colin Elliot on keyboards and multi-instrumentalist Clovis Phillips. Jeb Lloy Nichols adds great backing vocals on the gripping A Field Of Our Own.
The eleven tracks are meticulously crafted and prove once again what a great songwriter Michael is. But first and foremost there are his exceptionally warm and empathic vocals which go straight for your heart. But there is anger in his voice too when he blames the far right for hijacking this horrible event for their own gain in The Golden Hour. There is pathos in this one, reminiscent of a young Springsteen.
Stand-out song is the closing track Sally Sparkles which refers to the artist’s name that Bebe took on when she was “performing in the garden olympics”. Through this beautiful song you can actually visualize her frolicking about on trampoline and swing. Although one can feel the terrible pain continually, this has become a fascinating, beautiful album. What an impressive effort! I wish Michael and Lou loads of strength.
As Michael himself puts it: “To be honest, it was almost impossible to write about anything else. I hope I am now creatively exhausted on the subject, but I think it will affect my writing for ever, just as indeed, the loss of Bebe will.”
Tracks:
01. The Golden Hour
02. Nothing Can Hurt Me Anymore
03. Die of Shame
04. A Field of Our Own
05. Grow Old With Me
06. Just A Girl In The Summertime
07. La Bamba In The Rain
08. When I Grow Old
09. A Mother’s Pride
10. Into The West
11. Sally Sparkles
Website: https://michaelwestonking.com/