Steve Abel ‘Little Death’ review summary
“Abel is an extraordinarily good songwriter”
…the album Little Death is haunting and quiet…a hidden treasure in the New Zealand music scene.
- Alternatui Awards which named Little Death 2006 Album of the Year
* * * *
“lovely tunes abound”
- NZ Herald, which named Little Death in its Best Sounds of 2006
“an impact that borders on the visual…arrant musical hypnosis…a treasure… Steve Abel deals in muted tales…I could happily play you much more of this lovely album”
- William Dart of Radio New Zealand’s Concert FM
“beautifully crafted”
- Southland Express
“a melancholic masterpiece.”
This superbly packaged little gem has been hovering below the radar for some time now, and thanks to distributor Rhythmethod it can finally sprout and get the full appreciation it deserves. Steve Abel is one of the most unique and beautiful voices in our fair land. Aided and ably assisted by a cast of fine talent (including members of Goldenhorse and Pluto), Abel has created something of a melancholic masterpiece. Beautiful Fish begins things as they mean to go on; measured and brooding, hypnotic and introspected. There is an essence of sweetness here too, as heard on the Duet with Goldenhorse’s Kirsten Morell. If you think you’ve heard closing track Hospice for Destitute Lovers before, it’s because you probably have. Steve provided the voice and this song for the excellent independent movie Woodenhead, which was a festival favourite. All up, Little Death is a collection of articulate odes to the lost and lonesome, sung by an old soul with a depth to his songs and voice seldom heard these days.
- Pavement Magazine
* * * *
“will capture your heart”
…a gentle, yet powerful debut…this could be the sleepy album that takes everyone by surprise, similar to SJD’s Southern Lights. At its heart is Abel’s hushed Will Oldham like delivery and love of the country he inhabits and that has fuelled his imagination to contemplate everything from crickets scurrying in the dark to the orange light at dusk…it’s the heartfelt collaboration Duet (Lonely I Be), with [Kirsten] Morell doing her best sultry Emmy Lou Harris impression, and later on again on Ghost of God that will capture your heart.
- Dominion Post
“richly poetic”
The title of Steve Abel’s debut album initially evokes a somewhat dark response which is alternatively confirmed and dispelled once the disc starts spinning. Richly poetic lyrics journey through brooding thoughtfulness to create a mood that is sometimes dark, sometimes mystical, yet always well crafted, and bordering on the avant-garde. Listening to these songs is like viewing pictures in a gallery – they need time and space to work their effect.
- NZ Musician Magazine