What’s with the name “Jen Kearney & The Lost Onion”? “It gets asked all the time and is a valid question, so I’ll finally answer it.” says Boston singer/songwriter, Jen Kearney. “Onions span cultures. If you look at recipes for most savory dishes made on the planet, onions are usually included in the first five ingredients on the list. They defend themselves to the death. When you cut them they make you cry. Onions are humbling. Onions are layered. They’re covered in paper and were used in the embalmed bodies of Pharaohs in place of their eyes. Onions have such soul and history and we can never lose either. They are also delicious.” After 20 years of writing and recording music, Kearney has spent a lot of time experimenting with seasoning her particular style and flavor. Her latest album, “Age of Blame” is truly an amalgam of musical styles ranging from soul, R&B and funk- to rock, latin and jazz, while maintaining a singer/songwriter’s attention to lyrics. Her band stirs the eight cuts of the album through boiling points and gentle simmers that concentrate that flavor down to hit all points salty, sour, sweet and bitter. In a pre-release review from Jed Gottlieb of the Boston Herald, Kearney’s “…booming soul voice and smart, tight songs provide the pillars of the eight tunes. But her band adds some awesome voodoo.” and according to freelance reviewer, Bill Copeland: “There is a more easeful flow coming from her instrumentation and she sings with greater eloquence. Kearney shows more tasteful self-restraint than ever, and she offers more fine touches throughout this album than her previous recordings.” Lyrically, “Age of Blame” offers deeply personal and hopeful perspective on a myriad of subjects- the main theme being the importance of maintaining balance and love in an ever-evolving world where blame, fear, self-sabotage and deflection are all too easy to succumb to as human contact has receded. Kearney worked with Peter MacLean on drums; Aaron Bellamy on bass; Amy Bellamy on clavinet and B3 organ; Jason Yost on guitar; Mark Mullins on trumpet and flugelhorn; Jared Sims on saxophone; and Yahuba on percussion. “Working on the album with this group of heavy-hitting musicians has truly humbled me and pushed me to work harder than ever. We persevered through some very interesting situations and personal tragedies to get this album done, so being on the other side of it and listening to the first copy of it in the car was a bit more emotional and gratifying this time.”