STEP CASEY
Whisper and Holler
Self Produced 001
* * *
Step Casey is a Wellington, New Zealand-based
singer/songwriter, though one quickly hears that her muses have spent
considerable time across the pond in the United States. Among the influences she cites–and
which you’ll hear on her debut record–are Gillian Welch, The Be Good Tanyas, and
Lucinda Williams. Voice-wise, her dulcet tones resemble those of Joy Williams
of The Civil Wars, another inspiration. That said, her career path more
resembles that of Mary Gauthier in that not many folks decide to hit the road
as a folk/country/pop singer in their late thirties. (Gauthier was 38, Casey
39. Gauthier latter chucked her life as a restaurateur, Casey hers as a graphic
designer.)
If there’s any advantage to a later-in-life music career,
it’s that you’ve outlived both wide-eyed optimism and close-minded cynicism.
Casey offers a mix of emotions and themes. She opens with “Nice to Know You,” a
sticks-in-your-head song that highlights the infectious catch in her voice.
It’s also the first of three songs of loss, the second of which, “My Lovely
Letterbox,” is a duet with veteran New York City hard rocker Gary Sunshine. She
teams with him again on “A Love to Die For,” though it is her voice that’s the
effulgent contrast to Sunshine’s gravely tones. As that song’s title suggests,
there is plenty of upbeat material to balance the sorrowful. One of my
favorites is “Thievery,” a no-punches-pulled song of longing. Another is “Heavy
Warm Heart,” an off-kilter little number heavy on the first beats, in which
Casey lets her light voice bounce off and between picked acoustic guitar notes whilst
viola and cello add sonorous depth. Add some splashes of soul (the
Hammond-enhanced “No Love”) and a carefree beach song about one of my favorite
places, “Kapiti,” and it all adds up to later-in-life promise. Nitpickers would
be correct to say that Casey could be more emotive if she dialed back the vocal
ornaments a tad and trusted her material more. I suppose–but this is a solid debut,
no matter how long it took to arrive.--Rob
Weir
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