A gorgeous excursion into classic Americana.
All the boxes are ticked by this beguiling and atmospheric EP from Stevie Ray Latham which opens with the parched ‘Let Me Inside’, an excellent introduction to his acoustic melancholia. The voice is the key instrument, strained and breaking yet tuneful and evocative splashing the lyrics over the strummed guitar and, as the track develops, some supple strings providing depths to the sonic palette. The coda is dark and swirling, a soundscape beyond the lyricism. Gorgeous.
‘Old Friends’ is more user friendly with its building narrative and punchy rhythm but again the songwriting wrong foots the listener as the huge chorus gives way to the final bars of the lyric seemingly being relayed from the other room! He could be writing classic songs but chooses to turn left; much more satisfying. ‘Fugitive’ has skeletal keyboards and again the vocal delivery is toyed with, this time coming very close to the mic on this rambling, rollicking folk song which for some reason reminds of Brel or even Thackerey.
The EP finishes with ‘No Way Out’, perhaps a desolate midnight drive through the swampland of the Southern madness of Latham’s mind. In it, Latham’s voice snakes round the acoustic delivery and the shimmering reverb laden accompaniment. Stunning.
Like this review – short but very sweet. Buy.
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