Americana/Alt-Country Veteran | Stevie Cornell - Stevie Cornell (Sonoma-Sonic Records / 25 March 2022)

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Americana/Alt-Country
Stevie Cornell - Stevie Cornell
(Sonoma-Sonic Records / 25 March 2022)

Stevie Cornell is a veteran of the music biz (notably the East Bay punk scene of the 1970s,) and a band called the Young Adults, who took a break - a long break. They talked about coming back to music in a release.

"This album release marks my official return to music after a Rip Van Winkle twenty years away! Styles have changed and I’ve changed too, but I’m still all about the song. Rather than rely on loops and beats, I wrote all of these songs on paper at a real piano, like some old guy in a tiny Brill Building office full of heartache and cigarette smoke. I produced each track according to it’s own wishes, and so I’ve ended up with an album that wanders all across the landscape of my entire musical past, which, as you can tell by listening, is a pretty broad piece of geography! I filled the tracks with plenty of ear candy (I play a lot of instruments ) but the songs work just as well when I perform them solo." 

With a pedigree that also includes Americana stalwarts the Movie Stars (from San Fran), and retro country band Red Meat, it's not surprising his new material falls squarely into those genres.

He's got a fluid approach to songwriting that creates fresh interest out of well worn genres, and the album incorporates many modes, from the plaintive alt-country If Crying Is A Crime or Hope Came By Today to the folk-pop of I Couldn't Reach You.

Sailboat combines pop and jazzy elements for a unique sound with a spooky edge, while I'm In A Dream is reminiscent of Brit-pop brightness. That impression becomes even stronger in songs like Whispering Wind and Feet First, with their hooky guitar riffs. 

STevie Cornell

As a songwriter, he's got a nice ear for catchy melodies, albeit without a classic pop-style vocal hook. Vocally, he ranges from an earnest tenor to a melodic falsetto, and instrumentally, each song gets its own treatment, from simple acoustic guitar to layers of electric guitar and keyboard. 

Fans of Americana and alt-country will find a lot to like in this upbeat collection of songs. 

Stay in touch:

  • Official Website: https://steviecornell.com
  • Facebook: @steviecornellmusic
  • Twitter: @stevecornellmu2
  • Instagram: stevecornellmusic

Tracklist: 

01 “If Crying Is A Crime”; 02 “I Couldn’t Reach You”; 03 “Sailboat”; 04 “I’m In A Dream”; 05 “Hope Came By Today”; 06 “Black Hole In My Heart”; 07 “Whispering Wind”; 08 “A Tune That I Don’t Know”; 09 “Feet First”; 10 “Sarah”; 11 “Over Too Soon”; 12 “Just A Phase”

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