Shannon Stephens The Breadwinner (Asthmatic Kitty)
4/5
By: Liane Escorza
The Breadwinner is the second album by Shannon Stephens, and a reflection of adulthood and motherhood, as the title suggests. It’s a modest yet remarkable piece of work, where craft and intimacy have been blended together to become a sparkly and elegant gift to the shelves allocated to emerging artists.
Yet this album is unique in its maturity. Each song is wrapped in love and honest thoughts, such as the acoustic ballad of ‘The One Who Sees Me’. Having played and performed with Sufjan Stevens, there is a clear stylistic connection with him, displayed in the string and wind arrangements as in ‘Hard Times Are Coming’.
Yet it is interesting to see a resemblance in singing techniques with Nico (or The Dirty Projectors’ ‘Two Doves’), Rosie Thomas or Joni Mitchell. ‘Come To My Table’ is the perfect example of that; a track that mixes controlled pain with intimate whispers and soothing sensuality and beauty. ‘In the Summer in the Heat’ and ‘Song of The Breadwinner’ are a delight with their subtle shades of cello, horns and piano, yet the striking one of the lot is ‘The Dream’, a whispered lullaby, so low and so quiet it lures you to sleep, until piano and horn sweep swiftly in and make the whole experience not only sweet and tender but stunningly beautiful too.
Artists in this article: Shannon Stephens
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