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Reviewed by Stu Edwards

Steve Low: Dream Destination

Reviewed by Stu Edwards

Steve Low: Dream Destination

Steve Low has a lengthy collection of recorded music that is readily available to consume on formats such as Soundcloud. The Nelson anaesthetist come singer/songwriter tasted success in 2013 with a semi-finalist placing in the International Song Of The Year competition. Released in 2016 ‘Dream Destination’ is predominantly a home production featuring Low on a variety of instruments. With his vocals and acoustic guitar lines leading the songs, a low-fi pop folk theme is quickly established. Unfortunately any cohesion within and between the songs is continually disrupted by an annoying MIDI drum backing that sits uncomfortably beneath minimalist instrumentation. While there are some genuine hooks, any hope of reverting to a tidier unaccompanied approach is foiled by the return of the rhythmically erratic drum lines. Black Line has a light carefree feel with some acoustic guitar riffing while Eyes Have It takes a more syncopated synth-backed approach to the love ballad mould. Low’s quasi rap vocal delivery on You Don’t Have To seems to contradict the melodic pop direction of the remainder of the tracks, begging the question of where does the album sit stylistically? With the rise in quality of home recordings and access to professional quality mastering, ‘Dream Destination’ somehow misses the mark on a number of levels.