The Steoples

★★★★

Wide Through The Eyes Of No One

Downbeat, curative and often brilliant leftfield soul from transatlantic duo.

Yeofi Andoh’s voice is a wonderful thing, evoking Marvin Gaye at his most wracked, Scott Walker at his noblest, Berlin-era David Bowie at his most tremulous and world weary. On The Steoples’ second album, Andoh’s multitracked vocals hang suspended, gathering weight and resonance, as creative partner Gifted & Blessed (AKA Los Angeleno producer Frankie Reyes) assembles tracks of baroque chamber soul from treated horns, harp glissandos and gauzy synthesizers. These are introspective songs for the wee hours, Andoh investing the dreamy, uneasy soundtracks with all his blues and anxiety, sketching haunting Edward Hopper vignettes on the sorrowful Lonely Behaviour and railing softly at a “whole damn world” in Leaning On Me. On the meditative The Good News, meanwhile, Andoh confesses that “in the music I can lose it”, and this engulfing fog of an album invites listeners to follow his lead. STONES THROW. CD/DL/LP