Suddenly, and with no holds barred, Steven Faulkner launches into the intro of his new single Enjoy the Ride. Sudden and impactful, the first verse of Faulkner’s latest single sets a powerful precedent for the rest of the song.
Enjoy the Ride tells a story, with a positive message, of realising your potential and achieving your dreams. Through the song, Steven Faulkner encourages the listener to understand that there is nothing wrong with sticking your neck out and trying because we all have some hidden potential that we are unaware of. As he sings “so break free of your shackles, and the scars that weigh you down” the listener is empowered to recognise that they should look to their future rather than their past and realise that they have so much to give to the world.
Empowerment is a theme that runs through many of Faulkner’s songs, as he urges his listeners to be unapologetically themselves and offers hope to those who have little left.
Hailing from Hinckley, Leicestershire, Steven Faulkner cites artists such as David Bowie, The Who, Blur, and Foo Fighters as some of his primary influences. Such influences are clear in his music. Particularly in ‘Enjoy the Ride’, the vocal harmonies in the chorus sections are especially reminiscent of Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl.
Right from the start, the crunchy, distorted guitar and the heavily saturated drums give a powerful Alt-Rock feel to the track whilst the tonal vocal harmonies enforce the singer-songwriter vibe. This provides a perfect blend of genres and a completely unique feel.
While his influences from the Rock and Grunge genres are clear, there is no doubt that this is completely Steven Faulkner’s own unique achievement in music.
Minute details in the track such as the tape stop emulations into the final chorus and the phone equalization in the last build serve to add to the distinctiveness and individuality of the track and Faulkner’s music overall.
An unexpected, but entirely welcome, aspect of the track is the lead synth. The synthesizer lead pairs perfectly with the vocal harmonies and contrasts nicely with the gritty elements of the drums.
The bass and drums are excellently mixed by Adrian Bennett with the bass and kick not occupying the same frequency range and thus having an exquisite tonal balance between them.
It is important to note that Steven Faulkner wrote, arranged, recorded, and performed the song, proving that he is a multi-talented force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Having performed at such popular festivals as Y-Not and Glastonbudget as well as having secured supporting slots for countless popular artists, Steven Faulkner proves that he can hold his own on a stage just as well as he can in the recording studio. Furthermore, he has been featured on BBC Introducing this year and can be discovered on popular Spotify playlists such as ‘British Indie Rock 2021’ and ‘The FTS Indie List’.
As more and more people discover Faulkner there is no doubt in my mind that he will become an extremely prominent figure in the British Indie and Alt-Rock scene.
Listen/buy/stream Enjoy the Ride here.
Reviewed by Nanci Rawsthorne
Release date 20 August 2021
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