S TEPHEN  F EARING HAS SPOKEN of the “artistic thing” in Ireland, where he spent much of his childhood — an esthetic, a musicality, that infuses everyday life, as well as “a mournfulness in Irish music, just a sonic quality that people would think of as being a bit sad.” Irish music is only one of many influences you’ll hear in Fearing’s work, though. An acoustic performer known for his guitar playing and penetrating lyrics, Fearing may be as popular in his native Canada as a member of the award-winning folk-rock group Blackie and the Rodeo Kings as he is for his solo career; in fact, one reviewer wrote that he “should be far more popular than he is.” This may seem like an odd way to recommend an artist to you, but it’s a delicious treat to discover a talent that’s been hidden in the open, in Stephen’s case, since he released the first of his six records in 1986.

Fearing collaborated with his Blackie bandmates on the writing, performing and production of his latest CD, “That’s How I Walk,” and came up with an album that blends a raw, streetwise edge with soul-searching imagery. Ranging in subject from love’s loss to poverty, from faith to sexuality, Fearing’s work taps the full spectrum of human experience. As his previous live album shows, he’s a terrific solo performer and master storyteller. When the creator of some of the best contemporary folk music in Canada comes to Marblehead, you might just want to be there.