(Feat. 'Saddest Girl Ever,' 'Sleight of Hand,' 'Bone China' & 'Everything's Original')
Steve Rudd � website curator, social commentator, supporter of new music � and solo artist? One could be forgiven for thinking that Steve�s solo work would make for a complex synthesis of musical styles and tools accumulated from the thousands of demos he must listen to. Instead, his nicely presented demo is about as lo-fi as one could imagine, to the point of the audible scratchboard noise from his acoustic guitar.
What we have is four intense, emotionally charged, aggressively romantic pieces, in Steve�s undeniably emotive and distinctive delivery. The first thing that strikes you is the apparent determination to jettison the traditional trappings of pop songcraft � there is no room here for ornate intros, ad nauseam choruses or anything so indulgent as a solo. The hooks crop up where you least expect them, and often go before you feel like you�ve really appreciated them. You get the feeling that this is the essence of Steve�s musical vision � the wall-to-wall vocal, unrelenting strum patterns and abrupt endings amount to deliberate rejection of pop sensibilities in favour of a musical/lyrical landscape of unrelenting intensity.
There are moments which do provide instant gratification � the hooks often hold an unexpected and joyful sweetness � but I would be lying if I didn�t say I found some of it hard going initially. Sitting here giving it a fourth and fifth listening though, I�m surprised by how much of it comes back to me so naturally and how I�m able to appreciate every second of the song. You don�t hear the musical baton being tiresomely passed around each member of a band so that they each have their moment to shine � it�s an undiluted journey into the creative mind of the artist.
On the negative side, I would have to say that to please the more casual listener he may have to compromise his commitment to what can appear a stream-of-consciousness style of song composition, and learn to pitch his voice more carefully to the often slightly oblique melodies. I�m also not the man to give you reference points as to who Steve sounds like, or who he will appeal to � his lo-fi stylings couldn�t be further from my generic �bag� � but the fact that I was able to enjoy this demo thoroughly anyway is perhaps a recommendation in itself.
by Sam (member of London Alt.-rock band MC GRAW'S LAW)