A retro pastiche ‘supergroup’ of accomplished session musicians isn’t usually the sort of thing that appears on the Stones Throw roster, but then The Stepkids are so much more than that. Sure on first listen it might sound like the kind of West Coast rhythm and blues that just doesn’t exist past the late 70s, but these songs are made with so much attention to detail it’s hard not to get dragged in. Whether it’s the ‘Sergeant Pepper’ referencing ‘Santos and Ken’ or the wonky TV commercial-lite ‘Brain Ninja’ there’s enough breaks-heavy pop abstraction in here to keep even the most dedicated crate digger happy. Thankfully the band have managed to temper their musical prowess and avoided noodling – the only time their ability really comes to a frothy head is in those delicious harmonies. How many bands really harmonize properly now? A rare, groovy treat.
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A retro pastiche ‘supergroup’ of accomplished session musicians isn’t usually the sort of thing that appears on the Stones Throw roster, but then The Stepkids are so much more than that. Sure on first listen it might sound like the kind of West Coast rhythm and blues that just doesn’t exist past the late 70s, but these songs are made with so much attention to detail it’s hard not to get dragged in. Whether it’s the ‘Sergeant Pepper’ referencing ‘Santos and Ken’ or the wonky TV commercial-lite ‘Brain Ninja’ there’s enough breaks-heavy pop abstraction in here to keep even the most dedicated crate digger happy. Thankfully the band have managed to temper their musical prowess and avoided noodling – the only time their ability really comes to a frothy head is in those delicious harmonies. How many bands really harmonize properly now? A rare, groovy treat.
A retro pastiche ‘supergroup’ of accomplished session musicians isn’t usually the sort of thing that appears on the Stones Throw roster, but then The Stepkids are so much more than that. Sure on first listen it might sound like the kind of West Coast rhythm and blues that just doesn’t exist past the late 70s, but these songs are made with so much attention to detail it’s hard not to get dragged in. Whether it’s the ‘Sergeant Pepper’ referencing ‘Santos and Ken’ or the wonky TV commercial-lite ‘Brain Ninja’ there’s enough breaks-heavy pop abstraction in here to keep even the most dedicated crate digger happy. Thankfully the band have managed to temper their musical prowess and avoided noodling – the only time their ability really comes to a frothy head is in those delicious harmonies. How many bands really harmonize properly now? A rare, groovy treat.
A retro pastiche ‘supergroup’ of accomplished session musicians isn’t usually the sort of thing that appears on the Stones Throw roster, but then The Stepkids are so much more than that. Sure on first listen it might sound like the kind of West Coast rhythm and blues that just doesn’t exist past the late 70s, but these songs are made with so much attention to detail it’s hard not to get dragged in. Whether it’s the ‘Sergeant Pepper’ referencing ‘Santos and Ken’ or the wonky TV commercial-lite ‘Brain Ninja’ there’s enough breaks-heavy pop abstraction in here to keep even the most dedicated crate digger happy. Thankfully the band have managed to temper their musical prowess and avoided noodling – the only time their ability really comes to a frothy head is in those delicious harmonies. How many bands really harmonize properly now? A rare, groovy treat.