Hey!
Silent City, 2022
8/10
You might consider Steven Casper a country, blues, folk or rock artist, or perhaps a bit of all of those styles, and together with Carl Byron (piano, Hammond B-3, accordion), Dan Wistrom (guitars, lap steel, backing vocals), Alex U-Ren (bass, backing vocals), Jim Doyle (drums) and many guests, he brings us diverse and well crafted tunes.
“Easy” opens the listen with warm and melodic country-rock that’s quite breezy but still with some grit amid the agile guitars and strategic piano, and “Hey!” follows with a retro feel that showcases proficient drumming and smooth vocals.
“By Your Side” occupies the middle spot, and makes great use of accordion alongside the dreamy climate, while “Howling At The Moon (Wine And Weed)” recruits folk-friendly nods in the album highlight.
Close to the end, “Cold Dark Hole” is indeed a bit darker in scope and embraces vivid storytelling alongside the precise rhythm section, and “Motherless Child” exits with moody pedal steel to complement the ambient finish that takes a tone that certainly parallels the song subject of despair and isolation.
This is Casper’s 3rd album, and his work has already been featured on the series True Blood. He births a very distinct and memorable version of Americana, and it’s one that can certainly be enjoyed far beyond the 8 tracks here.
Travels well with: Christopher Lockett- At The Station; Tom Rodwell- Wood & Waste