[One To Watch] – Introducing – Steffaloo

It’s difficult to find iconic talent in a genre popular for spawning Feist-wannabes; however, Steffaloo approaches this problem by not channeling her influences, but rather taking example of them by channeling herself. Thus, she gains an audience willing to listen to her heart.

Steffaloo – “Meet Me In Montauk”

“Meet Me In Montauk”‘s simple strumming begins the intimate relationship between the listener and Steffaloo. The song arouses nostalgia when her imaginative wordplay articulates plans for a much needed reunion. As the minimal melody continues, her blithe backing-vocal accents come in as promising whispers of closure or perhaps new beginnings while prolonging the imminent seperation. Staying true to the singer/songwriter legacy, she bares all for the sake of her art. The rawness in her sound has a warm sophistication to it: laid back yet devastatingly honest, lyrically leaving no emotional stone unturned.

Steffaloo – “Just Strangers”

While the topic is sometimes painfully saturated with stories of heartbreak, Steffaloo’s songs play like parts of conversations you overhear in a cafe. There’s almost something connecting over witnessing the disconnect between what could have been. “Just Strangers” begins with soft reassurances over the relationship until the drum beat strides in, giving an embodiment to the intended audience in the conversation. As the harmonic exploration of her quietly dying affair comes to a unclear resolution, Steffaloo gives the common on-and-off relationship a well-suited theme.

Steffaloo – “When The Sun Goes Down”

The listlessness experienced after a long-term relationship can be crippling when the silence of your environment begins to settle in. Though mourning is part of the process, getting over a broken heart requires activity. When Steffaloo found none, she wrote about it in “When The Sun Goes Down”; her muted frustration against the well-intentioned comforts of friends and family is best articulated in the line “no matter how I try/the unknown still remains/like how there’s so much beauty in the pain”. She doesn’t concentrate on just one facet of heartbreak, instead opting to paint a general scene: it’s easy to see yourself in her place, attempting to find relief for when the absence of something significant becomes too much to bear.

Steffaloo – “Next Time I See You”

And as love dies and grows again, the latter stage also gets a tribute in “Next Time I See You”. This flirtatious little ditty finds new connections over past disappointments and rallies her new interest to greener pastures through dulcet ukulele tones. Accompanied by snaps and vocal overlays, it’s not hard to see that Steffaloo’s charm comes from her simplcity. This charm further extends to the handfuls of collaborations she has done with other artists that have recognized that some of their tracks cannot be without her element– my personal favorites, Blackbird Blackbird‘s “Starlight” and Sun Glitters’ “Cosmic Oceans”:

Blackbird Blackbird feat. Steffaloo – “Starlight”
Sun Glitters – feat. Steffaloo – “Cosmic Oceans”

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