Toronto-based musician Steve Singh has taken the DIY ethos to heart. On his latest, Heavy Metal Sunset, the singer/songwriter wrote, performed, mixed and produced all 10 songs. Mining a stellar list of influences as varied as Stevie Wonder and Glenn Tillbrook, Singh makes pop music like no one else performing today.
From the album opener – the title track – through “You Stink Underwater,†Heavy Metal Sunset has a timeless feel (this album could just have easily come out in the late 60’s). There is a vague Kink’s vibe that pops up throughout the record and is particularly clear on songs like “You’re Sitting on My Halo†and “Mouth Full of Gravity.â€
Lyrically, Singh seems to follow the Michael Stipe school of creative imagery over more straight forward story telling. Pared with the left of center instrumentation, the album is satisfying if a tad bit brief, clocking in at less than half an hour. Singh also created a great stop motion video for the song “Wash My Hair†at www.myspace.com/stevesingh.
Top tracks: “The Past Tense†and “Wash My Hairâ€
Rating: 8.1 out of 10
Steve Singh – Heavy Metal Sunset (CD)
Steve Singh – Heavy Metal Sunset/CD/2008/10 tracks/Self-released/www.myspace.com/stevesingh
