Stephen Hedley
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | INDIE
Music
Press
By John Lucas
Publish Date: February 26, 2009
Scenes (Wundertone Recordings)
It might be Stephen Hedley's name on the cover, but the sound of this CD owes a lot to the supporting cast. Really, you can't go too far wrong working with people like Mary Ancheta, Jonathan Anderson, and Vincent Jones, and their involvement gives Scenes a rich, full-spectrum feel that elevates it above other contenders in the singer-songwriter category. Witness the lushly ethereal “Downtown”, which bubbles with synth squiggles that would make a Radiohead fan sit up and take notice, or the closing “Oh Lord”, where soft acoustic picking is underscored by sweeping lap-steel tones.
Mind you, Hedley himself is a gifted tunesmith whose lilting voice has just enough grain to give his delivery a bit of grit. You almost get the feeling he doesn't really need all those other folks—but it sure doesn't hurt having them around.
- Georgia Straight
“’Scenes’ is a series of no-nonsense guitar pop songs with a high level of charts potential, especially the title track and our absolute favorite song ‘Why Can’t You Be Satisfied’ with falsetto-vocalist Stephen Hedley” – www.rootstime.be - Rootstime.be
German online review: (translation)
"Stephen Hedley is an outspoken and intelligent pop music writer. One where, once you hear him, you'll go back for more and more.
The entire album has a distinct flair, that from the beginning there is more to behold than only the banal flat food (a german phrase) that is often so apparent in other genres.
The music from him and his bassist Jim Bussanich is instrumentally flawless, very melodic and you always wait for further surprises within the music.
At times there is spacey synthesizing and there is a bit of rocked out slide-riffs. Other times one hears a sensitive guitar with a piano adding a distinct atmosphere to the music.
I find that Hedley has a bright,yet comforting voice with good range and has interesting falsettos.
In my opinion seven of the ten pieces have influences from bands such as The Beatles, Bee Gees (only very discreetly, because of the falsetto quota). This is also true, when you listen to " Steely Dan" and "Del Amitri".
Two pieces ("Go About Things", "Bitten") remind one me even more of "Craving of Hands", that volume (music) of my wonderful colleague and musician Frank Ipach.
In conclusion,Stephen Hedley’s work " Scenes" works well with a creative cover picture. Once again, with a lasting effect, he persistently underlines his artistic claim to his music."
- Rocktimes.at
Discography
Stephen Hedley - 'Scenes' CD - Sept 2008
Stephen Hedley - 'Stephen Hedley' EP - 2007
Stephen Hedley - 'In Need of New Style' EP - 2004
Photos
Bio
Stephen Hedley is one of those singer-songwriters whose music defies easy comparisons. Brought up in Windsor, Ontario, Hedley grew up only minutes from the Ambassador Bridge, a short jaunt over to Detroit, Michigan. With a clear signal from Detroit’s massive radio market, Stephen enjoyed a diverse diet of Otis Redding, Jeff Buckley, Stevie Wonder, Nick Drake, Marvin Gaye, The Stooges, U2, Neil Young, Philip Glass and everything in between.
Son to a British Anthropologist and an American classically trained pianist, with sabbatical years spent in New Zealand and Newfoundland as a child, it’s no wonder that Stephen’s outlook and his songwriting have always been unique and genre-bending.
His debut CD ‘Scenes’ reflects many of these influences, from the soulful falsetto and bluesy groove of ‘Yellow Dog’ to the achingly beautiful ‘Why Can’t You Be Satisfied’, to the sing-along rock choruses and disco undertones of ‘Scenes’. Stephen’s intuitive sense of melody, and his ability to bring together such diverse influences in the context of a pop song makes ‘Scenes’ an album that is both immediately gratifying and one that can be returned to time and time again.
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