Friday, December 28, 2007

music blurb...steven delopoulos

Christianity Today recommends Steven Delopoulos The Straight Jacket. I have his work from Burlap to Cashmere and his last CD titled Me Die Blue. I find his music of the highest calibur. Here's what Christianity Today said in their review of his new CD: "This poetry may not always be immediately graspable, but it's pure, uninhibited art. The more one savors Delopoulos' words, the more they have a way of touching something primal inside of the listener, as if somehow, somewhere we've all lived the unusual, beaten-path experiences that he relates. These narratives are elevated all the more by Christ's story—his coming, his ministry, his death and resurrection—which, in an almost uncanny way, is woven through every rhyme, punctuating the troubadour's own world-weary brokenness.

There's no major-label push behind Straightjacket, so production tends to be a bit spare and cavernous. Oddly enough, this works in favor of the songs, particularly those where Delopoulos entertains his vaudevillian tendencies—the tender "She Held My Hand" and rousing "Wallfly" almost make you feel like you're at the theater. In the end, the playbill is essentially Delopoulos, his guitar, and his songs, which together not only make for some great urban sonatas, but also establish Straightjacket as a rewarding, one-of-a-kind singer/songwriter album." Only available through download at his website.