Steve Stoeckel “The Power of And”
Steve Stoeckel (The Spongetones, Pop Co-Op, Jamie and Steve) steps out on his own with his debut solo album on Big Stir Records. Stoeckel has been very active of late, and his new album is chock full of memorable tunes. It opens with the fast-paced “Laura Lynn,” then goes madrigal on the simplistic “Birds.” Steve plays to those Spongetones fans with the wonderful “Mod Girl,” and then gives us a very McCartneyesque “Strange Cameo.”
“The Emerald Sea” is a Celtic pop gem with fuzz guitar and flute doing a call and response. “Skippy’s Parade” is a jaunty folk instrumental, after the slow fade we get the rocker “Christine” which leads us to the XTC-like whimsy of “Just One Kiss.” Not everything has that magic — but more than enough songs here will dazzle you. It’s hard to belive that this is Stoeckel’s first solo, so yes it’s Highly Recommended.
Stephen Lawrenson “Chants Of A Lifetime”
It’s been a long time since we heard from Stephen Lawrenson. From the first notes of the opening track, “Really Good,” it’s clear that he feels “good to be back home” with strong riffs and melody. Stephen incorporates more heavy rock and folk influences into this album. “In Circles” harkens back to his past work, but “Blue Room” is Lawrenson at his best, with a memorable hook in the verse, and a spacey chorus. His powerful instrumentation draws on a diverse range of influences, but he shines when his heavy riffs are married to a hook like on “Once Upon A Time” and “Thank You.”
He tries out different directions, like the acoustic strum and harmonies of “My Muse” and the heavier riffs of “The Horizon” but unfortunately, these songs don’t stick inside your head. He easily seems to find great guitar rhythms, like “King of Sympathy” but often falls into the mundane with others. While this does not match the majesty of 2013’s Obscuriosity, this still has plenty of good music worth hearing. Check it out.
