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Tom Stephens – A Lot Lies in the Difference

2014 was a big year for Tom Stephens with glowing reviews of his folk-infused release, Embers – an introspective take on the hush and hue of the Australian landscape. On the back of this, Stephens supported blues troubadour, Steve Smyth and Australian song writing legend, Shane Howard. However, much has changed after a year of sonic and lyrical exploration, as he exchanges the soft and countrified vibes of his second EP, for a more robust, coarser sound. Rather than paint dainty pictures of green gums, salt and sea, Stephens has opted to give voice to naked city streets, blinkers and billboards.

What Lies in the Difference is the first single from his debut album to be released later in 2015. This time around, he has chosen to accompany his dulcet storytelling with more than the rarefied flick and pop of the guitar. Rather, Stephens has created dense and rich soundscapes by layering instruments and building thick percussive undertows. By doing so, he hopes to reflect the subtleties and extremities of Sydney’s urban sprawl; the hum of cars amidst throngs of pulsing pedestrians in a violent-gentle city.

tom-stephensIn What Lies In The Difference a watery guitar-melody balances atop a delicate, down tempo rhythm. This clean and uncomplicated soundscape gives space to Stephens’ ochre drawl, as it lilts softly up and down. At moments, Stephens energises the tempo with staccato back-and-forth vocals, reminiscent of bluegrass’ pop and growl. At the end, a heavy metallic crescendo tosses you into a jagged sonic whirl. The point: It is a piece of music that is both smooth and coarse, thin and muscular.

Most importantly, Stephens talks about “the wealthy all asking for more” in this “beautiful country“, as a critique of the grubby gluttony of Australian consumerism. By telling us that “so much good lies in the difference“, Stephens’ pushes us to move beyond moral vacuity to ‘the good’. Only when we embrace ‘the good’ will we watch “the words we speak” and embrace difference. Stephens’ advice seems pertinent in the current context with offshore detention centre secrecy laws gagging health and social workers.

Following the release of What Lies in the Difference, Tom Stephens will hit the road with his four piece band, travelling throughout the ACT, VIC and NSW.

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