His vocals are Bowie-esque, while some might argue his lyrics are a tad contrived. That isn’t to say there isn’t real talent, whatever that is.
When I first opened the disc the first thing that caught my eye was the Aquariphone logo- a silhouette of a little Jamiroquai-looking dude. With that, I wasn’t entirely surprised when the first song, “Ashland“, began- synthesizer a-blazin’. I had been jamming out the Strokes immediately preceding this moment, though, so perhaps the temporary buzz-kill I experienced with the synthesizers was over-blown. With 11 tunes that, if nothing else, are original, Steffey covers some ground. By his admission, he attempts to tackle post-millennium spirituality against the backdrop of the ‘90’s.
Apparently Roadstar is making a splash in the CMJ, as well as on college radio. It is a little too synth for my tastes, but I imagine a number of folks will have a greater appreciation for the music. Steffey is homegrown, so get out there and support him.
