Reviews
Artist:Steve Warner Album: Frail
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 4
Website: https://www.stevewarnerfolk.com/
Steve Warner is Hertfordshire based musician who's been making steady progress on the folk scene for the last few years, having spent his younger days playing in various rock groups. Noted for his songs about life in general he can get inspiration from his teenage children to a comment overheard in a supermarket till queue.
"Frail" is his latest EP, live recorded in a school chapel and he brought in another local, now International, name Griff Jameson, to engineer and produce it.
The EP opens strongly with "Mud", On the face of it this is a song about the Western Front in WW1, from the soldier's view point. Although the horrors are picked out in detail - the bullets, death and loss of humanity - the recurring theme is "It's the mud". That's the daily grind that needs to be endured and I started thinking about this song in more modern terms; of people trapped in grinding poverty or a hopeless situation where there's no respite, no hope of a ceasefire or victory. Others may see different things in it, but that made it a very powerful song for me.
"Trust" is another song that takes an alternative view, with a slightly dark overlay, that hearts and minds can't be trusted because they, therefore we, are not pure. Like the first song, there isn't much hope for redemption. I suppose that does make it the most "folk" song on the EP. In opposition "Hymn" is a song of redemption through faith.
The title track "Frail" is beautifully presented, just voice and guitar which is all it needs. As a song it's a perfect example of not over complicating things and letting the words do the work. It's another song about about redemption, of having to open up and take help where it can be found. It may be through religion or somewhere else, but admitting that we can't always do it ourselves. Opening up is not a sign of weakness.
As said at the article header this is 4 track EP, so I won't give away any secrets. Just don't be too quick at getting the CD out of the player. It will be well worth the wait.
The quality of the recording emphasises Steve well. With nothing more than a guitar, shruti and voice he presents this music in exactly the same way you'd hear it live. I'm fortunate to have Steve as one of the many excellent musicians who live close by, so I get to see him quite regularly, but he's well worth making a journey to catch live. If you can't then this EP will be either a very good introduction to his music, or a valued addition to the collection.
The EP will be available at live shows around Anglia and London throughout the spring, and through Bandcamp from 3rd March.
Tony Birch
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