Painted Sea, Painted Stars. Steve French

Cees Paris was once a part of the Canshaker Pi and Personal Trainer entourage around Willem Smit, but he found his own vehicle with Steve French, assisted by some friends of old. In the past seven years I wrote reviews of 'Lightning Tiger Running' (2019) and 'Dogs' (2022). And then I sort of overlooked the latest effort released in March of this year. Time to make amends, as with Painted Sea, Painted Stars, Paris shows to be home from many markets.

Rereading my 2019 review, the following sentences struck me:

"What I notice in the nine song album is that Steve French is able to create a few moods. First there is the ramshackle vagueness. Secondly, very direct songs. Finally there is an alternative ballad, just one man and one guitar, no matter how short the song is".

Come 2026, Steve French is still very good at that mix and even adds an Hawaiian influenced track to boot.

The new album shows a far more mature and serious Steve French. This is no longer a young exuberant man bouncing around, showing off his musical prowess. A lot of thought has gone into the new album. It sounds far more mapped out, but without losing the open-mindedness of a fresh sound.

Like I wrote, Painted Sea, Painted Stars is a varied album. Indie rock can be found in abundance, but also an alternative ballad, 'Shallow Glow', with just Cees Paris and his guitar and a little embellishments. Then take the way the album ends. 'Arid Plains' is a full hybrid song. It is an alternative ballad, with a band. It includes an interesting electrical piano part, great riffs and an exploding electric guitar in a very short interlude (solo?). Because of the alternative approach, it is hard to call it beautiful, yet, in its own way it is. Constantly tugging at my pleasing and at my prickly pear side, manoeuvring itself between pop and alternative.

As a small boy, I was allowed to go to a radio studio with my mother and grandmother to record a programme for the ship my dad sailed on at the time. All I got to say was "dag pappa". There was a band performing, The Kilima Hawaiians. I had totally forgotten about this event and here's Steve French with the track 'Blue Hawaii' bringing back the memory. Thank you for that.

The indierock side of Steve French with some postpunk flavours dominates the biggest parts of Painted Sea, Pained Stars. No song is just straightforward, there's always a twist here, a turn there, the curve ball thrown in to prick up the ears or to give a jolt. It remains melodic but never in expected ways. Exactly what makes the Dutch alternative / postpunk rock scene so good. Steve French claims its position here no little.

Summing up, the more mature approach suits Steve French really well. The band fits right in with what is happening in this country and found its own voice along the way.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can order Painted Sea, Painted Stars here:

https://excelsior-recordings.com/products/steve-french-painted-sea-painted-stars