STEPHEN STEINBRINK – Arranged Waves
01. Now You See Everything
02. Animate Dust
03. Trust
04. A Simple Armature Of Your Ideal World
05. Synesthetic Ephemera
06. Brand New Manic Brain Holder
07. Tangerine
08. It’s So Pretty (What You Did For Me)
09. It Takes A Lot To Change A Mind
10. Sand Mandalas
11. Impress My Memories
12. Arranged Waves
The moment you play this album you see STEPHEN STEINBRINK walking with his head phones on through a green forest. Or is it you who is walking at the beach and dreaming away? With Arranged Waves STEINBRINK manages to manipulate our reality and fly us away on a cloud.
Arranged Waves is easy to listen to. Maybe because of the poppy superficiality, but there is so much more to this album than one might think when hitting play for the first time.
STEPHEN STEINBRINK sings about fragile and deep emotions. Melancholically he tells us stories about love and life. Arranged Waves is a somewhat visual album, it takes you away to experience your own stories. It’s like the soundtrack to our daydreaming.
The instrumentation is complex, rhythmic and melodic. A bit synthetic to complete the dreamlike sequences and tight with guitars and cellos.
Now You See Everything is a song that fits perfectly in your car when you are driving just to be driving. It seems happy and has a smart melody but their is a more meaning to it. STEINBRINK is deeply honest and shows his vulnerability in his lyrics.
Animate Dust starts slower and is a nostalgic tale of wanted chances. Church bells are ringing in Tangerine and we hear a dialogue. We have the feeling that we are sitting on a hard church bench, waiting for something to come. Threatening strings are building up the tention. This tention goes throughout the song and ends abruptly. Experimental.
The title of Brand New Manic Brain Holder let’s us expect that this is a heavy song but it sounds exactly like childhood memories should do. A bittersweet goodbye. It Takes A Lot To Change A Mind starts with a lyrical guitar and is a real singer-songwriter song. “You can’t give what you take. You can’t keep what you steal”, STEINBRINK sings.
Last song on the album is Arranged Waves, an instrumental last chapter with real waves to gently let you wake up and return to reality.
This album brings twisted emotions in a very beautiful wrapped melodic package. It is a wonderful album to accompany you when we just want to escape for a bit. Or in your car, so every travel will be like a road trip. STEPHEN STEINBRINK did not only arrange waves on this album but arranges a setting to be completely comfortable and at ease. Arranged Waves gives you all the time in the world to be with yourself and imagine bigger things.
STEPHEN STEINBRINK‘s Arranged Waves softly lulls you into your dreams.
NBHAP Rating: 4/5
—