“Oh no this living ain’t for the faint of heart, oh no this living is just a dying art” sings Adam H. Stephens in his new song “With Vengeance Come”. Stephens’s solo album We Live on Cliffs (Saddle Creek Records) hits stores today (September 28th).
The nine tracks on the album range from the hushed beauty of the aforementioned song, to the catchy get-up-and dance (“Praises in Your Name”), to a song Stephens calls a “punk-jam” (“Second Mind”). Fans of his band Two Gallants will notice quite a shift from the bare-bone guitar, drums and voice combination that comprises the band’s brilliant songs. Stephens explores more musical complexity on this release, and coupled with his characteristically raw lyrics, the songs have something for everyone. The scratchy and powerful voice he employs for his songs with Tyson Vogel in Two Gallants is now replaced by a smoother, but every bit as effective, vocal pitch. Although it may seem he has stepped out of the character that he created for his tales of crime, loss and love in Two Gallants, Stephens does not feel that his current work is a different medium of expression for him. “My songwriting style was particular for the time. I’d like to think I’ve grown up and changed. Even if those lyrics were personal, as I am still growing my songwriting reflects that.”
Photo: © J. Levinson