After Hours

新世代のギター・ヒーロー、デリケート・スティーヴ
ANTI-より、新スタジオ・アルバム「After Hours」をリリース

新世代のギター・マスター、デリケート・スティーヴがニューアルバムを発表した。革新的なギタリスト、プロデューサーであるデリケート・スティーヴこと、スティーブ・マリオンの5枚目のスタジオ・アルバム『After Hours』。この作品は、マリオンにとって初の試みとなるアルバムで、1966年製のフェンダー・ストラトキャスターを使用して作曲、録音され、プラグを差し込んで演奏することのシンプルな喜びに溢れた、シリアスでいながら楽観的でもある、気楽な作品のコレクションとなっている。

On albums like This Is Steve (2017) and Till I Burn Up (2019), Delicate Steves Steve Marion offered up plenty of his distinctly whimsical and melodic instrumental pop/rock, incorporating synthesizers, effects pedals, and custom guitars to further set apart his idiosyncratic sound. On his sixth album, After Hours, Marion changes things up with an unexpectedly loungey, relaxed approach to a set written and recorded on a 1966 Fender Stratocaster, saying that this time with the instrument helped him rediscover "the simple joys of plugging in and playing." Far from a solo guitar outing, it also finds him bringing in outside musicians for the first time since his debut, among them bassist Shahzad Ismaily (Yoko Ono, Marc Ribot) and percussionist Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Atoms for Peace). Low on whimsy and high on intangible vibes, the resulting breezy, laid-back album almost sleepily slides into elevator territory while instead anchoring its lite grooves to the fire escape on minimalist entries like "Now I Know" and "Looking Glass." Elsewhere, the more sophisticated "Street Breeze" settles into one of the albums brisker tempos with lively percussion, touches of organ, and a slippery bassline behind Steves own improvisational lead. Hes more locked in on the wistfully lyrical "Playing in a Band," while the bluesier "Looking Glass" is highlighted by layered percussion, including hand drums that move the atmospheres toward more tropical climates. For further differentiation, "Find My Way" adds saxophone to the mix, and the title track blurs textures including what sounds like Fender Rhodes, muted electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and more beneath the lead line. He takes this technique further on the more experimental "Night Owl," which also clouds meter and form. Marion leaves listeners with the more in-focus, shuffling "Still Life," which fades out after an unresolved chord. A surprising move into the realm of background music for the guitarist/composer, some fans may miss Marions trademark playfulness and inventiveness, while others may appreciate the option of a half-hour of cool, undemanding guitar explorations suited for a Saturday afternoon. ~ Marcy Donelson