Eight years after his debut record, Stee Downes returns on Sonar Kollektiv with an album of serious but meaningful songs, brought to life by good melodies and adaptable rhythms. Downes’ songwriting is carefully crafted, and sometimes he casts this over a deep house production, or, as in ‘Big Mistake’, he goes for a chunkier, electro pop sound. ‘Always On My Mind’ is the deep house pick, making the poignant observation that ‘it’s time to get serious, we’ve had our fun’, while ‘All Over The World’ throws a bit more disco into the mix, winding up as a positive message of love with a catchy riff. If heard in a sunny climate ‘The Bigger Picture’ effortlessly works its magic, subtly uplifting but carrying a deeper meaning too.
Ben Hogwood
4 out of 5
STEE DOWNES – THE BIGGER PICTURE – SONAR KOLLEKTIV
