I am about to pay Stephen probably the best compliment that I can think of. He sounds a LOT like Elvis Costello, James Taylor, Bono and Bob Dylan donated their collective man juice and had a son that combined every single best quality that they have. Stephen Lyons is beginning to renew my faith in good music. The genre he is pigeon holed in is Pop. I don’t see it. I don’t consider U2 pop and his music is certainly very similar to Bono’s work.
The vocals are so moving. They are pure and crisp. They have meaning and you can tell how much he enjoys his work and loves singing and writing music. Unlike many studio whored musicians and singers his work is on his sleeve. His emotions are there in front of you saying “look at me” and “take me as I am”. It is great and it is refreshing to hear purity in voice. That’s why I mentioned the artists that I did. They all have that same purity – that same joy of music.
Sure – some of the songs come off as a bit pretentious and maybe a tad religiously motivated but Bono made a career out of being a martyr for the religious right and out of being a tad self conceited. No one is perfect. The point is that the music is there and it is solidly performed, flawlessly sung and Stephen Lyons can certainly hold his own on a huge stage as an opening act or headliner as well as someone you could see sitting in a coffee house on a stool with just his guitar.
I could do without the Beatles sounding stuff just because I loved John Lennon and his music is unmistakable. I’m just a snob when it comes to anything that sounds like it could come out of their catalog. I would love to see what Stephen Lyons could do with some more edge – more rock to his style. He’d be unstoppable I think.
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More Information
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http://www.stephenlyonsmusic.com
http://www.mySpace.com/slyons1
