Los Angeles-based songwriter Steven van Betten takes inspiration from time spent playing guitar in rocky canyons, taking breaks to climb the sandstone and search for swimming holes in the sweltering sun.
Steven plays in bands such as Fell Runner, and he co-founded ‘School of Song’, which sees him teaching songwriting alongside contemporaries such as Phil Elverum, Miya Folick, Luke Temple, Lomelda, and Meg Duffy (Hand Habits).
‘What’s The Takeaway Now’ Is Steven’s 3rd album.
The opening (title) track starts with a slightly lo-fi drum machine part, which is a great, off-kilter introduction to the album, and it sets the mood perfectly.
The delicate vocal slowly comes into focus as the winding melody is laid out before us. This is a minimalistic, intimate sound, and it eases us into the album with an acclimatising warmth.
‘Everything Will Be Fine’ is a more immediate track – a silky smooth electric piano, a bubbly bass and Steven’s vocal (a more defined presence this time). The slightly wonky and dissonant interlude in the track keeps us a little off-balance and unsure of what to expect next (these wonderfully unexpected moments are a recurring theme throughout the album).
The sparse & pretty “Sometimes You’re Not’ & slightly jauntier ‘Feels So Good To Get To Know You Better’ shows more creative uses of electronic elements. These are used sparingly and always feel like they belong – adding a rounded warmth and some contrasting textures. We also get some lovely guitar tones and more of those exquisitely fragile melodies.
As the tracks unfold, it’s clear there is a signature sound running through them – a distinctive watermark stamped on each track which makes this feel like a cohesive body of songs.
The wistful and sadly nostalgic “Summer Days’ works so well next to ‘Love Is Everywhere, which features a beautifully subtle piano part and some darker guitar tones. As the song builds and builds, it’s hard to know if we should feel happy or sad.
Reflections on life, love & growing up, each song manages to evoke that bittersweet feeling life often brings, and the wide variety of sounds across the album are used to brilliant effect, delivering an evocative and emotional experience.
The final two songs have perhaps the most intimate vocals & some of the most interesting sound choices. First, we are enveloped in silky smooth warmth on ‘Slow Dancing In the Kitchen’, then stripped right back to the bare bones on ‘Remembering The Way Things were’. The album closes with a trippy, psychedelic flourish, and we drift away….
‘What’s The Takeaway Now’ is a beautifully layered album, rich in storytelling and melodic ideas. You’ll need to live with this one for a while to ensure you find all the small details, and although each song stands on its own, they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. When taken as a whole, you get to see the complete picture – and it’s a wonderful, 3-dimensional kaleidoscope.
Written by Grubby
