Freddie Stevenson - All My Strange Companions
Not So Strange At All.
A quirky lyric can make a merely catchy song a brilliant one. An unusual voice can make straightforward pop into something unique. But such features only make good songs into great ones; they’re the dressing, not the meat and substance behind the quirk is more smarmy than charming. On his sophomore release, All My Strange Companions, Freddie Stevenson isn’t doing himself any favors by radiating forced eccentricity. Take the opening track, ‘Easy Now.’ Strip away the growling delivery, and the confusing, self-conscious references to J.K. Rowling, and you’re left with a reasonably catchy (but entirely ordinary) rocker. That’s not to say that Stevenson’s studied eccentricities are a glossy shell for mediocre songs. On the contrary, the album’s gaudier moments backfire and detract from what are otherwise perfectly successful pieces of pop.
Which is a real shame, because there is some remarkable songwriting going on here. ‘If an Alien Astronomer Could See Us from Afar,’ rolls along with elegant simplicity and the perfect amount of melancholy: the soulful guitar licks, cascading piano runs, gently galloping drums, and heartfelt lyric reveal an artist of considerable prowess. And when he focuses his talents on fostering a particular vibe, rather than drifting into an undifferentiated stylistic no-man’s land, his potential materializes into lip-smacking aural candy. ‘Nothing’s Gonna Change’ sets out simply to rock, and succeeds. ‘The Soft Collapse’ makes “I simply cannot get ‘inexorable’ to rhyme” into a profound statement - perhaps because that dilemma, placed among the song’s other brooding complaints, allows for a laugh. Its function is clear, its tone rings true, and so it enhances the song as such inclusions should.
It is unfortunate that not all of Stevenson’s ingredients gel as well as does that line. (Honestly now, Harry Potter?) He writes soaring melodies, but sadly doesn’t have the upper register to sing them. He writes lyrics that elicit laughter, but often delivers them with a bewilderingly straight face. He pens songs of fetching sparseness, then gums with up with distracting and convoluted attempts at distinctiveness. Ultimately, Stevenson’s songs aren’t particularly individual - and if he could only accept that fact gracefully, the songs’ quality could more than make up for their lack of the quick requisite in indie rock.
Drew Messinger-Michaels
