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Steffey breaks it up with "Kyrie" |
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Written by AUGUST FORTE
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Wednesday, 21 September 2005 |
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The breakup song, that most enduring permutation of the popular love song, has given voice to heartbreak for generations of music fans. From Otis Redding's “Dock of the Bay” to Willie Nelson's “You Were Always on My Mind” to Joy Division's “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” the breakup song has provided a soundtrack for forlorn days and lonesome nights.
Chicago-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist William Steffey investigates the breakup song with brutal honesty on his new EP, Love Song for Kyrie Snow, and the results are often striking.
Pitched somewhere between the melancholic synth-pop of Tears for Fears and the bittersweet electronica of The Postal Service, Steffey's songs have a fragile, heart-on-sleeve quality.
Opener “So Fucking Hard” is a poignant catalog of what's left behind after a relationship goes sour. The title track finds Steffey pleading for his lover's return without sacrificing mile-wide hooks. “Stronger than Love” is blue-eyed soul for the blackest hours. “Brutal” is a beautiful declaration of hope that echoes both Ultravox and Robert Miles. “Remix for Kyrie Snow” reprises the title track while highlighting the talents of programmer/percussionist Felix Miklik.
With Love Song for Kyrie Snow, William Steffey picks up the pieces of a failed relationship and invites the listener to share in his pain. Above all, he proves that the breakup song is about loss, but that love - the memory of, the longing for - endures. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
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