The names quickly come to mind: Neil Young. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. James Taylor. Bruce Springsteen. Randy Newman. Elvis Costello. Those are the icons which, subconsciously or not, are recalled on the debut album from singer/songwriter Steve Pichan (http://stevepichan.com). The two-fisted "NY Times" combines Newman's bitingly sarcastic observations ("In the Times, the New York Times/What is the crime today?") with Costello's gift for disguising sword-sharp lyrics beneath a happy singalong chorus.
Pichan has a wounded, sensitive voice that is similar to Young's but not as nasally. "Mile" could've certainly fit onto Young's "Harvest Moon" with its folk-country stylings. The cinematic textures of the music add gravity to Pichan's meditation on death and the afterlife. "Somewhere" is an enigmatic tale of lost love which may or may not be referencing the dangers that loggers face and the pressures their jobs place on their families. The brilliant "Iron Man" utilizes 9/11 to frame Pichan's heroic ideals, that people must find the strength within them, their inner Iron Man, to help others in times of distress.
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"Am I Here Already?" is built on the same blue-collar philosophies that propelled Springsteen to the top. This is an album for the working class; even though it doesn't speak to them, it talks to them in a language that they understand. "Am I here already?" Pican asks, and he appears to be singing about the American Dream, one that was seemingly lost with the death of John F. Kennedy. Frequent spins reward deeper interpretations of Pichan's lyrical insights, and the album continues to grow in meaning and personal connection with every play. I love it.
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