Album Review: Stevie and The Moon - These Old Traditions

Listening to Stevie and The Moon is comparable to returning to your own bed after a long week away from home; the prevalence of the Glaswegian accent in modern indie music gives Stevie’s voice an immediate sense of mellow familiarity and an instinctual warmth. Yet the presumptuous Glasvegas-esque slow numbers on 'These Old Traditions' are opposed by the unexpectedly upbeat.

The dulcet Scottish tones of Stevie’s intimate lyrics depict the EP as more of an outlet for his fears of lost nostalgia and growing older, rather than a showcase of his undeniable talent for writing strong melodies. There are flickers of melodic brilliance scattered throughout the EP, but there are too sporadic. It leaves These Old Traditions to rely heavily upon the strength of Stevie’s epically proportioned voice and personal lyrics which, thankfully, shine throughout this EP.

This is most apparent on the opening and closing tracks: ‘Old Traditions’ seamlessly shifts between Stevie’s mellow growl and angelic falsetto, whilst the story-led ‘Pictures’ is delivered with such conviction that the song paints a vivid picture of internal struggle, bringing the desperation of lyrics such as “You better let the laughter out, oh no you better not do that now” to life.

However, the folksy instrumentation which accompanies the more upbeat tracks such as ‘Born Again’ and ‘Set This Fire’ sometimes detract from the colourful character of Stevie’s voice and, as a result, the personality which his voice portrays is sometime lost. Thankfully, the two are met in harmony on ‘Tick Tock World’, which manages to effortlessly combine his frantic pop elements with a heart-wrenchingly simple chorus.

'These Old Traditions' is a promising debut. Despite never quite delivering a “hit” single, Stevie provides us with an EP of strong lyrics and surprising emotional depth.


3.5/5

'These Old Traditions' by Stevie and The Moon is released on April 5th.

Stevie and The Moon on Myspace

Alex Howick