|
|
|
|
Steve Holt: "We Need You" |
 |
Trilogy Records
Just two short years ago, Steve Holt was a man of numbers: a hardened Bay Street analyst, specializing in the music and entertainment industries, with over 15 years of experience. It was a rather daring and emboldened leap, then, when Holt left the security of the rigid digits of Bay Street to instead focus his energy on his own sweeping love of making music. This was, after all, a talent that he harboured for years prior to dedicating himself fulltime. But, despite being one of many career-hardened aspiring artist-wannabes, Holt actually holds some rock solid credentials to back up his vision of grandeur. He is a long-time, self-taught pianist, a past instructor of Jazz improvisation at McGill University, and has found national acclaim, including a Juno Nomination (for Best Jazz Album), with his 1983 release The Lion's Eyes.
Given Holt's roots in jazz, it seems a little bit of a surprise that his latest musical efforts have taken a far different path. His planned 2002 release, The Dream (Trilogy Records), is to be a full pop/rock offering, promising a deeper insight into Holt's own insights, namely through the craft of songwriting to which he has fully dedicated himself. And, as his first single from The Dream, ("We Need You") shows, Steve Holt aptly proves himself as an expressive, genuine songwriter with a flair for human emotion and an understated ability to provoke Real Thought in the listener.
|
Sponsored Links |
|
|
"We Need You" is a stylistically minimalist tune with a simple-yet-gripping message, one of the basic longing for purpose, and is best self-described by Holt himself as "the story of one man's disillusionment with the things of the world and his turning toward a higher ideal". The simplicity of this message resonates with spirituality, especially in the context of the post-9/11 landscape. In a day when the world would falter under the weight of another I'm-so-depressed-and-the-world-bites musical personality, this song proves that music can be uplifting without returning to the bland bubble gum days of music long gone.
Steve Holt is a perfectionist, and every aspect of "We Need You" - from the instrumentals to the songwriting to the vocals - is polished, the end product resembling a carefully shined gem. One criticism of note, however, is that this recording is perhaps a little too polished. The song gives off an ultra-produced, '80s, David Fosteresque feel, something that could have perhaps been avoided embracing rock just a little tighter, instead of swiming solely with the pop. An edgier song is what we're asking for here, dear Mr.Holt; your talent is evident, and the glossy production only serves to mask, rather than enhance, the overall impression of your otherwise strong recording.
By Steve Rickman, CanEHdian.com
|
|
Submit a review, comment or article on Steve Holt: |
|
Express your views online: Do you have an article, album or concert review you wish to
share with others? Do you just want to simply comment on this review?
Submit it here! We will review
your contribution and potentially publish it!
| | |
Album review copyright CanEHdian.com 2002 (All Rights Reserved)
|
| |
|
|
|
Visit Our Sponsors |
|
|
|
