23 Dec 2024
The Steffan van Soest Smoke Machine - Album Review: Hot Boxin'
19 Sep 2017 // A review by Andrew Smit
Kicking off with the mesmeric HOT!, a track that has hints
of Bowie with a bit of Lou Reed, an expressive ditty that is decorated with
great vocal harmonies and a very catchy melody. It’s a great song that
introduces you to a very interesting album, each track from there is subtly
different, but all are full of dirty guitar grinds driven with a heavy hypnotic
beat and layered with surprising backing vocal arrangements and retro keyboard highlights.
The songs on Hot Boxin' all have a similar metronomic rhythm too, but each
track has its own unique mix of sounds and melody that keep you interested, like Bad By Design which starts with surprising fax machine sounds and other synthetic
delights before kicking into the stomping industrial grinds that the album is abundant
with. The vocal work from Steffan while not wide
in range is robust and expressively dramatic, and it fits the rugged sound of the
album perfectly.
The
Steffan van Soest Smoke Machine have once again delivered an eclectic and unorthodox
sound that they are infamous for, full of lyrical complexity and melodic
delights that are well worth a listen.
Review written by Andrew Smit
About The Steffan van Soest Smoke Machine
Infamous for his eclectic/unorthodox sound and lyrical style, Steffan van Soest has continued to bewilder and amaze all since his conception in 1976.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for The Steffan van Soest Smoke Machine
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