SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STEPHEN BECKER – NOTHING SUN UNDER THE NEW

Stephen Becker
Nothing Sun Under The New
NNA Tapes

The so-called bedroom artists are becoming ‘dime-a-dozen’ these days. After all, quite a few are stuck in their bedrooms and make music there. Literally. But with all the faded or not so faded charm, not that many jump out as a real talent or have something exceptional to say, either musically or lyrically.

At the same time, quite a few of them resort releasing EP’s, three, four or so songs. In many cases, they either don’t have much to say or it is a bit hard to judge if they do so.

So here is yet another among those – Stephen Becker from Brooklyn NY. All the ‘technical’ elements mentioned above are there – bedroom, ‘lo-fi,’ following in the footsteps of Animal Collective, Sparklehorse, and Will Oldham, among others.

Fortunately for Becker, and particularly for his listeners, his latest EP ‘Nothing Sun Under the New’ is not your run-of-the-mill bedroom pop, nor is it just a copy of any and all of the above-mentioned artists. Becker crafted the four songs here with care and detail, and they shine with well-crafted melodies and thought-out lyrics.

And while after listening, or better yet–repeated listenings, you crave for more, ‘Nothing Sun Under the New’ stands on its own as an EP that has both a head and a tail. Oh, and some good music too.

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