Canadian record producer, label owner and musician Steve Kravac finally makes his debut as a recording artist, adopting the stage name Steven Bradley. Summer Bliss and Autumn Tears is an album by a man who has experieced up more ups and downs than he cares to remember. Power pop, country, and Nineties college rock are the cornerstone genres that try to get the upperhand in his music. The jury is till out who is the winner, but that's not a problem. His gift for melody plus his ability to turn everyday observations into a something deeper or funny make it a complete package.
As an established producer he could make a few phone calls to musicians to perform on his album. To name a few: Wayne Kramer (MC5), Kevin Kane (Northern Pikes, Grapes of Wrath) played guitar, Mike Herrera (MXPX) and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross) provided backing vocals, Danny McGough helped out with keyboards, and Louise Dawson played piano. He played acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, bass, drums, and percussion himself.
He cites Elvis Costello and Bob Mould as huge influences and sure enough their way of making an outsider's look the main perspective is what makes this record a multi-layered piece of work: philosophically (Summer Bliss and Autumn Tears), emotionally (Can't Come Home), politically (Pre-Emptive Strike, and sometimes downright silly, like the problem of how to deal with 365 photos in Calendar Girl. Few debut albums get it right on the first try, but there are no weak spots or filler tracks. In fact, it might be a challenge to make a next album as good as this one.
Summer Bliss and Autumn Tears is released via Porterhouse Records (baby blue vinyl, digital).
Tracks:- Love Tumbles Into Obsesssion
- You Walk By
- Pre-Emptive Strike
- Capitol Hill
- Can't Come Home
- Calendar Girl
- Summer Bliss and Autumn Tears
- I Will Too
- Loose Ends
- Hiding Place
- The Bargain