STEVE APPLETON"WHEN THE SUN COMES UP"
(Sony UK, 2009)
Okay, so I'm flipping through the used CD racks in Amoeba and I come across this Steve Appleton guy. I've never heard of him before, but the cover's got the whole Ryan Cabrera "Take It All Away" thing going on, it's a Japanese import with 17 tracks on it, and it's only $4.99, so I decide to take a chance and stick it in my basket. I shudder to think that I almost got rid of it along with the three or four other items I yanked in my last-minute pre-checkout basket thinning, because I can now confidently call this the biggest and best coup I scored on my whole vacation ... not just because it's become one of my favorite purchases of the year, but also because of how spendy the Japanese version of this CD can get online, unless one finds a sleeper lot on eBay.
Have you ever wondered what a cross between Jason Mraz and Daniel Bedingfield might sound like? Wonder no more. Steve Appleton is a pop singer-songwriter who's got the gift for a killer hook and the agile lyrical delivery of Jason Mraz (if not necessarily his gift for wordplay), and a bit of a vocal resemblance to Daniel Bedingfield. Not only that, but Appleton's song stylings strike a fun and interesting balance between the easy-going semi-folksy pop of Mraz and the drum-and-bass dance beats of Bedingfield. I honestly can't begin to name my favorite songs here, because they keep changing. But at the moment I'm particularly keen on "Seeing Stars", "Funky Joe's" (can't pass up a good saxophone!) and the endlessly hooky title track. Most of the album is upbeat, but Steve shows his softer side toward the end of the album with the jazzy "London, Tokyo, Paris" and the Paul Simon-ish "Seems a Little". And topping it all off is how Steve's adorable British accent comes through regularly in the lyrics.
These are the kinds of things I totally live for -- when an album I pick up on a whim, never even having heard of the artist, ends up becoming one of my favorites ... how can I not love the serendipity of it all? By the way, don't let the forementioned cover resemblance to Ryan Cabrera scare you away; lest you think this is some hack producer's effort to slick-up a cute young blond troubadour for teeny-bopper radio popularity, it should be noted that Steve Appleton wrote, performed, and produced the entire album himself. The UK version of the album is pretty easy to come by, so even though the two Japan-only bonus tracks are worth having, the rest of the album definitely shouldn't be passed up. A lot of people would enjoy this ... and I can think of one person in particular!
Buy the CD on Amazon UK
Aww, you thought of me! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteEven if your Ryan Cabrera slam hurts (there are a good five to seven songs from him I think are great), you've got me curious ;) The title track (and a remix of it) is the only one I've heard, but your comparisons are spot-on in terms of what I'd love to hear. $4.99 for an import? Lucky you! Anyhow, I'm YouTubing the title track right now...
"These are the kinds of things I totally live for -- when an album I pick up on a whim, never even having heard of the artist, ends up becoming one of my favorites"
YES! It's such a rush.
Speaking of recommendations from you, did I ever tell you that I got Tinted Windows' album? I wish there were more artists working in that subgenre and with such obvious care to the work they create.
Wow, it didn't take you long to read this entry at all, did it? ;-) I just knew after I listened to this disc the first time that you'd love it.
ReplyDeleteHmmm ... I didn't even realize until now how badly I raked poor Ryan over the coals ... I was thinking more along the lines of an outsider's view of his stuff as I was writing that, 'cause I really like his debut ... honest, I do!!!
-T
Okay, I re-worded that merciless lambasting of Ryan ... the more I re-read it, the more I saw it wasn't what I was really trying to say. I'm glad you pointed it out to me!
ReplyDeleteOh, and yay to you for picking up Tinted Windows! A fun listen, aren't they? ;-)
-T