Stephen AtkinsonNew Jersey’s Steve Marion (also known as Delicate Steve) just released his third album This is Steve, and he’s really starting to hit his stride. Marion has had a very busy career collaborating on stage and in studio with names like Dirty Projectors, Tame Impala, Sigur Ros, Mac Demarco and even Death Grips. With a list as varied and accomplishes as that you know there is something special about the music that Marion makes. The newest album plays out more like the soundtrack to life rather than a piece of music that is about a specific topic or concept. This is evidenced by the video for the lead single “Winners” . Enjoying his slice of pizza. Walking the boardwalk by the ocean. Watching the people as they pass. The fractured tableaus of life, enjoyed individually; it’s all about living in the moment. The songs are instrumentation only and there are no lyrics to interpret, this gives the audience a vast blank canvas in which their mind can paint a picture of what the music is about or some scenario that would unfold as the music played. This is Steve is a very personal musical experience because Delicate Steve has given you all the tools to align his music with your own life, leaving it to you to construct how this album fits into your day-to-day life, and what it all means ( if anything at all).
Delicate Steve played a show in Boston to a crowded room at the Middle East night club with support from local Boston bands Midriffs and Bat House. They both played sets that paid homage to the Boston scene and welcomed Delicate Steve with open arms. It was nice to watch the band members of both bands flip the switch from performer to fan of the headliner.
