Everyone who enters a music career hopes to create something distinctly
their own. Obviously that's hard and few really do. Stephen Cummings
is one of the exceptions. The moment he sings a note, you know who
it is. There's no mistaking that smooth drawl of a vocal style.
There's also a danger in that. If you've got that unique quality
you can after a while become a parody of yourself. Like Bob Dylan.
I think that Stephen Cummings was always in danger of heading down
that road. With this album he clearly avoids it. For the first time
in a long time, listening to this album, on first listen, I could
hear traces of other 'voices'. Bruce Springsteen. Lloyd Cole. Willy
Deville. Lou Reed. In fact it's not Stephen at all, giving those
impressions, but the songs he's written and created for this album,
through the songs taking his voice on fresh adventures, using that
unique quality in new and interesting ways. A couple of listens
and those impressions are washed away by the satisfaction level
of the songs themselves. As well as being a unique vocalist, Stephen
Cummings is a fine songwriter. The beauty of Stephen Cummings is
that he only ever makes a record when there's a record to be made.
He's avoided making albums because he 'has' to. And when that time
comes he's got a regular group of musicians to make his records
with. Each time he'll use them slightly different, change the emphasis,
but always works with musicians who 'understand', who also want
to stretch that thing they do with Stephen into different shapes.
This time long-time guitarist Shane O'Mara acts as producer as well
as musician. The crispness of the sounds, the room given the vocals,
is probably why I thought I was able to hear other 'voices'. What
we've ended up with is possibly the most free-flowing, varied and
entertaining album Stephen has made in his long and proud career.
Bluesy, melodic, as always romantic and melancholy. 'Skeleton Key'
is a record you can play over and over.
Everyone who enters a music career hopes to create something distinctly
their own. Obviously that's hard and few really do. Stephen Cummings
is one of the exceptions. The moment he sings a note, you know who
it is. There's no mistaking that smooth drawl of a vocal style.
There's also a danger in that. If you've got that unique quality
you can after a while become a parody of yourself. Like Bob Dylan.
I think that Stephen Cummings was always in danger of heading down
that road. With this album he clearly avoids it. For the first time
in a long time, listening to this album, on first listen, I could
hear traces of other 'voices'. Bruce Springsteen. Lloyd Cole. Willy
Deville. Lou Reed. In fact it's not Stephen at all, giving those
impressions, but the songs he's written and created for this album,
through the songs taking his voice on fresh adventures, using that
unique quality in new and interesting ways. A couple of listens
and those impressions are washed away by the satisfaction level
of the songs themselves. As well as being a unique vocalist, Stephen
Cummings is a fine songwriter. The beauty of Stephen Cummings is
that he only ever makes a record when there's a record to be made.
He's avoided making albums because he 'has' to. And when that time
comes he's got a regular group of musicians to make his records
with. Each time he'll use them slightly different, change the emphasis,
but always works with musicians who 'understand', who also want
to stretch that thing they do with Stephen into different shapes.
This time long-time guitarist Shane O'Mara acts as producer as well
as musician. The crispness of the sounds, the room given the vocals,
is probably why I thought I was able to hear other 'voices'. What
we've ended up with is possibly the most free-flowing, varied and
entertaining album Stephen has made in his long and proud career.
Bluesy, melodic, as always romantic and melancholy. 'Skeleton Key'
is a record you can play over and over.