Stept On "Lonely"
Stept On "Lonely"
Anyone who has seen a Stept On show knows that they're a great live band.
I've seen them three times so far and I was impressed every time. They know
how to get a reaction from a crowd, that's for sure. But, I don't wanna get
into that here. What I'd like to do is to take a closer look at their debut
CD, "Lonely."
They say the first impression is always the most important, but, I really
don't believe that statement. The very first time I saw Stept On was at
Fiddlestyx. I was there to see the opening band and then I had to leave,
so, I didn't get to see their full show...that would happen at a later
date. Anyway, I at least got the chance to see them do a song or two when
they were doing soundcheck and my first opinion was, "These guys are a
hardcore band." Don't ask me why, that's just the impression I got. A short
time later, I got the chance to witness a full show and my first "hardcore"
impression was quickly forgotten. This band was something more...something
better. But, once again, I'm not trying to write about their live show here
because we know what they can do on a stage, and we know they do it well.
When I finally had the chance to give "Lonely" a listen, that's when I
realized the true talent that is contained within this band. The disc opens
with an instant classic, "Drowning," which comes at you full force and it
doesn't really give you a good idea of what's yet to come. I say that
because "Lonely" isn't the kind of album that features a bunch of songs
that all sound the same. Stept On has a bit of variety within their music
and that's something that's worthy of praise because, let's be honest here,
you know there's people out there who put out an entire album where one
song sounds like everything else on the album. At least with Stept On, when
it comes to that first listen, you really don't know what to expect.
"Lonely," which is, obviously, the title track here, kicks in right after
"Drowning" and it's cool that the band put these two songs at the begining
of the album, back to back, because they compliment each other perfectly.
Track three, "Day After Day," starts off with a bit of funk and when you
get to the chorus, you get right back into that heavy guitar Stept On
sound. "Die 4 You" is the "epic" song on this release, clocking in at six
minutes and four seconds. This tune is a perfect example of how Stept On
can remain a powerful band while being a bit more laid back with their
music. Now, that's just four songs into the album and you've already seen a
few different sides of Stept On. Can you imagine how much more you'll see
while you listen to the rest of this release? I could go through each song
one by one and tell you what to expect, but, where's the fun in that? If
you haven't heard this album yet and you're reading this write up here, the
thrill of discovery is gone when you finally get around to buying a copy.
That's why I was kind of glad that I didn't read too many reviews on this
disc before it came across my desk. That first listen just blew me away
and, sure, now when I put it on, I know what to expect. But, I have a
greater appreciation for this album because of my first impression of it
and, when I listen to it now, it's a release that I can fully enjoy from
start to finish and that enjoyment comes from spinning this disc on a
regular basis.
If you consider yourself a true supporter of local talent, "Lonely" is an
album that has to be in your CD collection, there's no question about it.
If you don't have this release, make sure you grab a copy as soon as you
can. If you already have it, make sure that you recommend it to other
people. And finally, make sure you see this band live as many times as you
can because there's one thing you can count on...Stept On will put on one
hell of a show.
http://www.stepton.com