"The Shadow Kabinet is one-man outfit Steve Somerset who does everything on his Hark! CD. The title track opens the disc and comes across like a post-Floyd Syd to some extent. 'Shadows On A Foggy Day' is a slightly baroque pop number whilst 'Save Me' is a light, melodic plea for elevation from the throng and hum of the urban everyday. Light, well written and melodically styled pop vignettes make this a perfect end of the day soundscape." - Shindig Magazine
Influences
I love great songwriting from the Brill Building to The Beatles, from Bob Dylan to Ray Davies, from Bowie to Beck, from Motown to the Monkees, from Bacharach to The Beach Boys.
Sounds Like
Smiling Worlds Apart -
Steve Somerset, AKA The Shadow Kabinet, deserves to take his place among the distinguished company of several English ’60s-inspired psych-pop troubadours. If you are so inclined you can detect in his music traces of Bowie, Syd, Donovan, Ray Davies, Robyn Hitchcock, XTC, Martin Newell and a score of lesser lights, but such influence-spotting is to miss the point. Mr Somerset excels at inventive and romantic tunes on which he plays and sings everything. The songs are simply too good to be derivative; fans of the artists mentioned above will really enjoy this CD. There are some wry observations on ‘Office Life’ and ‘Trouble And Strife’ and a gentle humour is at work on ‘Bad Hair Day’ and the nifty instrumental ‘Tabla Motown’. Another instro, ‘Surfing On The Shadows’ is a twanging, rumbling guitar-fest. One of the strongest tunes, ‘The Strings Of Her Sitar’ contains no sitars at all.
With 19 songs the finer points of this excellent album are best appreciated in smaller doses.
Phil Suggitt Shindig Magazine June 2009
"Another gem from London's unsung pop genius." - Mark Hudson of the Daily Telegraph
A NEW ALBUM FROM THE SHADOW KABINET
‘SMILING WORLDS APART’
In the beginning there was HARK!
And the people harkened and it was melodic and good.
Now The Shadow Kabinet have reconvened for their latest sonic adventure, Smiling Worlds Apart, confirming Steve Somerset’s position as one of the keepers of the flame of melodic guitar pop.
Smiling Worlds Apart features 19 original songs, all written, performed, arranged and produced by Steve Somerset. From the Helter Skelter mayhem of the title track to the English psychedelic whimsy of ‘Just As Lost As Me’ this is music that owes as much to Salvador Dali as it does to the Beatles.
“If there’s a manifesto for the Shadow Kabinet it can be summed up in just one word: melody,” says Steve. And there’s no shortage of great melodies on this album. Taking his cue from the great writers of the Golden Age of Pop, like Ray Davies, David Bowie, Lennon and McCartney, Steve creates music that is at once familiar and yet original and innovative.
“I’m a huge fan of the three and half minute pop song,” says Steve. “Variety is important too. I think there is definitely a ‘Shadow Kabinet sound’ but it encompasses a wide variety of styles.”
Don’t just take Steve’s word for it. Here’s what XTC’s Dave Gregory says about the album
"The Shadow Kabinet's best ... a scenic, colour drenched trip across Steve Somerset's dreamy universe... all aboard!" Jazz musician Darius Brubeck is also a fan "Enjoyed The Shadow Kabinet, kind of reminds me of Lennon and The Moody Blues... but new too!"
There’s a sense of fun here too with songs like ‘Bad Hair Day’ and ‘Tabla Motown’, while songs like ‘When Winter Comes To England’ convey a poignant yearning for days gone by.
So sit back, place your ears twenty-four inches apart and enjoy a journey in Shadowphonic Stereo Sound through some of the grooviest tunes to massage your ears in this or any other year.
Smiling Worlds Apart is available from Heyday Mail Order
http://www.heyday-mo.com/
Kool Kat Musik (with exclusive bonus disc)
http://www.koolkatmusik.com/
CD Baby and NOT LAME plus don't forget you can also download HARK!
Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create. Albert Einstein
You're very welcome, Steve! :) If there is anyone to whom I credit my evergrowing appreciation of Indian/Hindustani music over the last year or two, it would certainly be George. As much as John, Paul, and even Ringo definitely had their contributions as Beatles, I'd make the argument that George brought the most unique sound to the outfit when he studied the sitar and forged a friendship with Ravi Shankar. Not to mention how Ravi and his instrument were already getting to be well known and respected in the West, but George really, REALLY helped that mushroom.
Hope you too are having a great weekend, and peace, love, and luck!
Just listened to "Too Much Inner Light"...what a FABULOUS homage to the (IMO) more underappreciated Beatle in Harrison. You did a tremendously groovy job, as, really, you have done with all of your tracks thus far.
Thank you for the welcome and comment! :) Have very much enjoyed what I've heard from you and hope to add your sounds to my ever-growing collection ASAP!
Good to have you as a friend! So great to see the internet in action this way, shortening distances between people.
I hope all's well with you and that you enjoy checking out my web site some time.
For occasional, new, refreshing, insightful and (possibly?!) valuable content, I encourage you to sign up for my free newsfeed/email newsletter (using the form on site at page right - high quality, low quantity, no spam!).
Take care and keep in touch.
Best, Faber.
"Just a guy trying to make the world a better place. "
Online Now!
