balcony

BALCONY 777 Steven Lester (recording under the band name Balcony) proves himself a talent to be reckoned with on his debut, 777. The catchy "Life on Downers," with its searing guitar lines (courtesy of multi-instrumentalist Lester) and Scary Monsters aura, best exemplifies what Balcony is all about. For the jazz-inspired "Crawl to the Top" Lester calls upon another one of his heroes, Frank Sinatra, but ultimately swims in waters Ol' Blue Eyes never charted. On "A Future Left Behind" the man behind Balcony explores the lyrical themes of Scott 3, adding funky beats to the choruses, while the words voiced over the new wave racket of "Denominator" address the public's desire for the lowest forms of entertainment and that "the only way I can win is lose." Even though the subject matter of 777 is often bleak, Lester's musical tone choices combined with his emotionally and technically strong vocal delivery (with just a hint of melancholy) keep the tunes from sinking into despair. The piece de resistance of the album is its' closer, "Night Terrors" (featuring the MGM Studio Orchestra), a song that so resembles Scott Walker that it has been successfully passed off as a rare Walker b-side via a popular file-sharing network.



~Bart Bealmear.All Music Guide



BEFORE NEEDS



For Balcony's second album majordomo Steven Lester cleaned up the production, creating a fully realized sound collage. Though Balcony's initial release, 777, has more immediate tunes, Before Needs, is more compelling. "By All This," "Glittering Sacrifice," and "Loving You Always" (with its many Bowie marks) all capture the feel of 1980s Alternative pop/rock, yet somehow avoid the nostalgic feel of most retro-songs. "In the Meantime" is flat-out astonishing in its previously unthinkable (but definitely workable) fusion of Gothic Rock and Sunshine Pop. The lounge-y "Black Sheep Girl" is kept from being just that, with integrated percussion and dissonance. Lester has also made Before Needs a more listener-friendly release, toning down the industrial influence and lead guitar. In fact, "Ariel" is the closest he's come to a straightforward pop song. The album is lighter lyrically as well, most evident on "Ariel" and the tender "Something's Wrong," another Balcony number that could easily pass for a Scott Walker solo track. "Candy Factory" is a beguiling closer, with Lester effectively answering his own hypothetical question: what if Sinatra had embraced new wave? Before Needs ends with one final eye-opener, appropriate for a record full of surprises.



~Bart Bealmear.All Music Guide