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Review: 'Stoekel,Steve'
'The Power Of And'   

-  Label: 'Big Stir Records/ Bandcamp'
-  Genre: 'Pop' -  Release Date: '24.2.23.'-  Catalogue No: 'BSR-0088'

Our Rating:
The Power Of And is the first solo album by The Spongetones legend Steve Stoeckel in over four decades making music. Although a solo album The Spongetones all appear on Mod Girl. The Spongetones may be Power Pop Hall of famers, but this reviewer has to admit I think I only own maybe one song by them, so am no expert.

The album opens with Laura Lynn a super sweet juvenile pop song that has a very late 60's early 70's sound to it, as he's asking her out, we get a nice guitar solo, as she turns up the heat on him once more.

Birds has Byrds like guitars playing an ancient melody for a pastoral folk song with echoes towards I Am The Cosmos like floaty feelings, as he makes sure you know he's there for you.

If/Then Is another love letter gently strummed, stings float in through the fields of strawberries, the cocoon of love for how you feel when your beside him.

Mod Girl is much more 60's beat club, featuring The Spongetones, but played at about two thirds the pace it should be at, this should be a real foot stomper, instead of which if feels far more reflective, a bit subdued as the memories come flooding back.

Strange Cameo is a bucolic tale of neckerchief happenstance. The Emerald Sea is a song for the old country, part sea shanty, part Phil Lynott tribute, penny whistles singing on the streets, a bodhran leads the way, yet another tale of what Magic Michael gets up too.

The Power Of And is sitting on the back porch throwing lines at each other, woozy feeling I can picture a horse buggy riding by, the rhythms almost like the horses hooves pattern, makes this a lovely sun dappled song.

Skippy's Parade Just sort of passed me by, before Christine burst into life taking things up a few notches, this is a good pub rock love song, with some barrel house blues piano buried in the mix, as this chugs along, the guitar fires off the salvoes to show how mean she's been to him.

Why is a moaning song from a lover Irene Pena, who gets ghosted when other friends are in town. Beautiful harmonies between Irene and Steve married with superb playing make this break up feel rather amicable.

Just One Kiss is almost a Manhattan Transfer style chanson that goes a bit Alessi Brothers, like as he explains that you've never been kissed, like he will kiss you. Watch out before you know it, he'll be feeding you night food as well.

Hummingbird is sitting in a tree by some fields, everything is super laid back, this needs some chirruping in the background that the acoustic guitar is mimicking on this fine air.

The Monsters Under My Bed sounds far to nice for the songs title, this is bluesy tale of a very middle of the Peter Sarstedt style road persuasion.

Heather Gray is a gently strummed apology and eulogy, sweeping strings, she's never out of his thoughts, for everything that happened.

Whistling Past Graveyards is quite a proggy folk song for the pain and sorrow that’s all around, I wish I knew what 70's prog act this reminds me of, but not my area of expertise or taste, a nice twist to end the album, it was also The Spongetones drummer Chris Garges final collaboration with Steve Stoekel before Chris left this realm. If you give this album the chance it will grow on you quite quickly.

Find out more at https://www.bigstirrecords.com/steve-stoeckel https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-power-of-and https://www.facebook.com/steve.stoeckel





  author: simonovitch

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