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MH-285 Steffaloo - Would You Stay  Would You Stay is the Mush full-length debut from Los Angeles based auteur Steph Thompson, recording as Steffaloo. The thirteen-track album is a meditation on beauty and loss that uses the tape-hiss ambience and reverb drenched vocals of a classic bedroom recording to capture isolation and heartache in simple, yet near-perfect songs. The title track sets the mood of the album, as Steffaloo strums an acoustic guitar with a style that hints as bossa nova while she lists the things that she can't bring herself to do to save her relationship. Tracks like "Can't You See" and "I'm Sorry" marry subtle hooks and unexpected phrasing with perfectly matched instrumentation to create a haunting mood reminiscent of You Are Free era Cat Power. Throughout the album, percussion is used sparingly, be it a simple kick drum or washed out handclap, and never gets in the way of the song. A handful of chance-taking tracks, including the desolate campfire tale "Lonely Night" and the effected "My Heart Beats" break up the album. By the time the slightly out of tune guitar and pleading vocal of "The Whale And Me" and the beautiful harmonies of "You" close the album, it is clear that Would You Stay perfectly captures its author's distinctive sound. |
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| Reviews Summary |
| Masterwork of heart-rending realism and poignant optimism - Altsounds / When I hear Steffaloo’s music I can’t help but feel the love - Deftune / This just may be the quintessential fall album all of you indie folk enthusiasts have been looking for - Indie Shuffle / If you were or are a fan of chicks with guitars: i,e,: Cat Power, Feist, even a dash of St. Vincent, then Steffaloo is the musician for you - In Your Speakers |
| Reviews |
| Steph Thompson, aka Steffaloo, is a Los Angeles based singer-songwriter, already known for her dreamy collaborations with artists like Blackbird Blackbird and Teen Daze. Her solo music is a slightly different beast. Her debut album Would You Stay is a heavily acoustic, sparsely arranged, lo-fi production, that places her warm, lovely voice at the center. A listen to the album immediately draws comparisons in my mind with artists like Feist and First Aid Kit, which is definitely a good thing. The title track “Would You Stay” opens the album, and sets the tone. It’s a bright, summery, welcoming tune, and Thompson’s polite, tentative request to the listener of “Would you stay? / Would you stay, oh oh?” is a subtle but effective way to draw you in to the album. “Can’t You See” is another stand out track, with a beautiful acoustic guitar melody, some thinly dispersed handclap rhythms, and lyrics about an unsatisfactory, loveless relationship — “One night held by you / Is one night held too tight / One day spent with you / Is one day too long”. In fact, the entire album has a pervading theme of love, beauty, loneliness and break-ups. It’s well-trodden ground for most lyricists, but Steffaloo has no trouble making it feel fresh and interesting. Overall, Would You Stay is a winning record. Steffaloo’s tuneful, light, textured vocals are married well with washed-out, fuzzy ambiance, lots of reverb, and some incredibly restrained compositions. This one’s definitely a keeper. - Earbuddy |
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