When music takes more of an experimental path, it can go one of 2 ways, either being perceived as strange – or – be fully appreciated for every single detail. The new single ‘STEPPE’ by Liverpool based band P.S.M (self-described as ‘the most innovative band in Liverpool’) was absolutely the latter for me, and hopefully you too!
The band’s latest offering takes on sounds from many different instruments, creating a jam-packed arrangement. It opens with a slow drum pattern, evoking a sense of melancholy. After a few seconds, the tempo starts to increase until it becomes a fast-paced beat, which is when we hear the other main instruments used in the track begin. Being a fusion band, it is evident to streamers that really leans into different influences from different corners of the industry, but mostly seeming to be jazz and folk influences.
Guitar and bass are the most audible elements of the instrumental accompaniment of the track, with very high chords being played which are further heightening the upbeat sense, but there are many more sounds tucked into the song which add huge amounts of depth for the listener, really highlighting the band’s ability to think through every single element of the song until it’s exactly as they imagined.
Vocally speaking, the band have clearly put a lot of effort into making sure that vocals and instrumentals fit perfectly together, while still being distinctive. The lyrics of this song are quite sparse and irregular, creating another outlet for the experimentalities of this song. When looking at the lyrics written together, it seems more like a poem, which highlights a much deeper meaning behind the lyrics you hear within the song. This could also be a direct reference to the spoken-word genre, where poetry is a heavy part of the genre.
A part of the song that stood out to me massively was the bridge-style section at around 2 minutes in. While there are no lyrics, the song goes back to what it seemed at the start, a completely opposite vibe to the rest of the song. The abrupt changes here and in other parts of the song are truly unpredictable, and it allows listeners to expect the unexpected going forward in their listening of the band’s music.
Overall, this 8 piece band have lived up to their status of ‘the most innovative band in Liverpool’. This was my first time listening to any of their songs, and ‘STEPPE‘ has made such a great impression on me even upon first listen!
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