The Unseen in Between is an album with more palpable emotion and literary bent than ever before.
It is a record that demands attention and close listening. Appropriately, The Unseen in Between is not full of hooks and instant gratification, so it could be easy to pass by if you didn’t apply more time. Satisfaction, in Steve Gunn’s illumination of the unseen, comes from paying his work dues and getting yours back in shimmering, low key Americana which gets brighter with each play.
Even if each track has a distinct sound, the overall effect is of the whole of the appropriately mysteriously titled The Unseen In Between being more than the sum of its warm, lustrous parts.
The Unseen in Between should be the album where he steps out from the shadow of his contemporaries and establishes him as one of the most reliable singer-songwriters of his generation. His heart is in tune with that of a wanderer but his songwriting is firmly in place, ready to come out of obscurity.
There’s an innate comfort that comes with listening to Gunn’s music and The Unseen in Between is that Sunday afternoon moment of self-care that you need in your life.
The Unseen In Between has the potential to be a victim of its own naturalness; it’s such a finely-hewed record that people will step into its sound and enjoy it with such ease that they might take it for granted, believe it’s something classic they already know.
The singer/songwriter is steadily developing into a poignant lyricist, now chronicling the places and people he hopes to understand.
Even with the continued polish and expanded grandeur of his arrangements, there is a sober, matter-of-fact kind of reassurance to Gunn’s songs that remains consistent.
The Unseen in Between (what a title) kicks Gunn up a gear, redeploying his influences into a left-field but welcoming whole, pearlescent enough as a background listen, but sufficiently arresting to make you stop and appreciate Gunn’s chops.
Compared to the lackluster singer-songwriter albums I had heard up until now, this one really felt like a breath of fresh air. Steve Gunn is miles above everybody else. Every song here is interesting, whether it be the almost-psychedelic New Familiar or the haunting Stonehurst Cowboy, Steve Gunn really shows his versatility on this record.
You all are sleeping on this record. This is one of the best singer-songwriter records of the year.
I have no idea why this album resonates with me so much. The lyrics are great but overall it's not a terribly emotionally engaging listen for me. It just achieves what it sets out to achieve so well. Perfect fall soundtrack.
Something I drink my coffee to while smiling at it's self awareness and inner darkness.
I have no idea why this album resonates with me so much. The lyrics are great but overall it's not a terribly emotionally engaging listen for me. It just achieves what it sets out to achieve so well. Perfect fall soundtrack.
Compared to the lackluster singer-songwriter albums I had heard up until now, this one really felt like a breath of fresh air. Steve Gunn is miles above everybody else. Every song here is interesting, whether it be the almost-psychedelic New Familiar or the haunting Stonehurst Cowboy, Steve Gunn really shows his versatility on this record.
You all are sleeping on this record. This is one of the best singer-songwriter records of the year.
Something I drink my coffee to while smiling at it's self awareness and inner darkness.
1 | New Moon 5:10 | |
2 | Vagabond 5:02 | |
3 | Chance 4:25 | |
4 | Stonehurst Cowboy 3:41 | |
5 | Luciano 5:54 | |
6 | New Familiar 5:57 | |
7 | Lightning Field 5:01 | |
8 | Morning Is Mended 4:00 | |
9 | Paranoid 5:16 |
#14 | / | Piccadilly Records |
#51 | / | Uncut |
#54 | / | MOJO |
#70 | / | Drift |
/ | AllMusic |