South of Stephen
Stephen Kellogg
2000 Independent release
Stephen Kellogg
2000 Independent release
Meet Stephen Kellogg, an American musician that fits in a long tradition of rootsy singer-songwriters. The mix of rock, country, pop, folk and blues blend together in relatable songs with strong lyrics and heartfelt deliveries. "South of Stephen" is actually Kellogg's 3rd release (behind "Rain Summer" & "Buffalo") , 4th if you count his 1994 demo ("Invest In Us").
On "South of Stephen" Kellogg takes you on a personal journey starting with Southern State of Mind, a soulful story with touches of nostalgia and regret. The folky Take Me Into Town comes across a little raw but the honesty in the vocal delivery makes that the words hit the spot.
On The Way She Is folk mixes with country, while Fading In is more of a Petty-esque heartland rock song with a groovy edge.Another Midas Story has a sad, mellow undertone that makes the words pour out. The blend with the female vocalist also works to the song's advantage.
Be is a little subdued but the mainstream rock song holds relatable lyrics that speak to you. The underlying music needs to come out of its shell a little more but the song has promise. A promise Kellogg delivers on during I Know Why. This intimate, breathy folk-rocker creeps up on you and much like Leonard Cohen or Van Morrison could do, the song is about the story and delivery, not hampered by intricate melodies or fancy arrangements. But filled with purity. It may take over 7 minutes for this song to play out but if something is this good, the duration is not important.
He continues strong with The America Song. Kellogg seems to have finished warming up because he found the right way to highlight his gift for lyricism. The powerful vocal delivery and the progressing arrangement of the song keep pushing this song upwards. A richer musical arrangement reaches us on Nailed Inside His Blues Again. The balladeer, the storyteller inside Kellogg finds its way to the surface and gets you to wonder. To think about life and what it all means. Here is where a musician can really connect to a listener on a new level.
The record comes to a close with The Dark Side of the King. Vocally it may not be the album's strongest effort but much more important than sounding perfect is that a song sounds believable. And that is something where Stephen Kellogg has hit the nail on the head.
"South of Stephen" is a solid effort with a couple of really good songs (I Know Why, The America Song, Nailed Inside His Blues Again) but at the same time leaves a lot of room for growth. Lyrically, Kellogg immediately stands out but in arrangement and consistency there may just be room to come into his own more. Considering this is already a record that merits repeated plays on everyone's record player, this promises a lot of good things for this young musician.
On "South of Stephen" Kellogg takes you on a personal journey starting with Southern State of Mind, a soulful story with touches of nostalgia and regret. The folky Take Me Into Town comes across a little raw but the honesty in the vocal delivery makes that the words hit the spot.
On The Way She Is folk mixes with country, while Fading In is more of a Petty-esque heartland rock song with a groovy edge.Another Midas Story has a sad, mellow undertone that makes the words pour out. The blend with the female vocalist also works to the song's advantage.
Be is a little subdued but the mainstream rock song holds relatable lyrics that speak to you. The underlying music needs to come out of its shell a little more but the song has promise. A promise Kellogg delivers on during I Know Why. This intimate, breathy folk-rocker creeps up on you and much like Leonard Cohen or Van Morrison could do, the song is about the story and delivery, not hampered by intricate melodies or fancy arrangements. But filled with purity. It may take over 7 minutes for this song to play out but if something is this good, the duration is not important.
He continues strong with The America Song. Kellogg seems to have finished warming up because he found the right way to highlight his gift for lyricism. The powerful vocal delivery and the progressing arrangement of the song keep pushing this song upwards. A richer musical arrangement reaches us on Nailed Inside His Blues Again. The balladeer, the storyteller inside Kellogg finds its way to the surface and gets you to wonder. To think about life and what it all means. Here is where a musician can really connect to a listener on a new level.
The record comes to a close with The Dark Side of the King. Vocally it may not be the album's strongest effort but much more important than sounding perfect is that a song sounds believable. And that is something where Stephen Kellogg has hit the nail on the head.
"South of Stephen" is a solid effort with a couple of really good songs (I Know Why, The America Song, Nailed Inside His Blues Again) but at the same time leaves a lot of room for growth. Lyrically, Kellogg immediately stands out but in arrangement and consistency there may just be room to come into his own more. Considering this is already a record that merits repeated plays on everyone's record player, this promises a lot of good things for this young musician.