STEFFALOO | Meet Me In Montauk

I’d first heard Steffaloo on a track by Blackbird Blackbird. Now she has a new record on bandcamp called “Meet Me in Montauk”, a folky remedy for what ails you. The production is lo-fi, with a keen eye for the beauty of simplicity. I’m guessing the degraded audio quality is a purposeful aesthetic rather than out of convenience. But either way, it works wonders with this record’s modest sensibilities, light and airy melodies and deliciously pretty harmonies. The 10 tracks shimmer like bedroom reflections, packed with soft moments that reveal a worldly elegance in struggle (“When the Sun Goes Down”), a nostalgic sense of heartache (“Just Strangers” and “Next Time I See You”), or the graceful escapism of “Fly Away”, one of the most beautiful tracks I’ve heard this year. It’ll raise the hair on your arms. Seriously. The harmonies (be it double-tracking or delay) are like morning sunlight, all golden and lush. The overall tone will have you thinking of summers lost, loves had and dreams of youth. Each track is an intimate piece of a life. The arrangements are minimal, sometimes a ukelele, a keyboard, sometimes an acoustic guitar, a tap on the thigh, and even the light recording hiss becomes an instrument of sorts, wrapping each song in its fuzzy warmth like an electric blanket. The album is sung with a hushed reverence. “The Letting Go” is a gorgeous homily about a relationship. “On Fire” percolates with a rooftop reminiscence on love — it’s as sumptuous as melting caramel. Steffaloo’s album is an artist’s love affair with music and its creation. Listen to the album at her bandcamp page. Highly recommended. – David D. Robbins Jr.

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