Album Review

Steph Newton – Everything You Need

• 22nd Nov 2009

Oxford-based singer-songwriter Steph Newton boasts a brilliant voice and a knack for writing catchy, vintage-sounding songs, as exemplified by this new EP. With the likes of Amy Winehouse, Duffy and a host of others hitting the album charts hard in recent years with soul and blues-influenced pop, this collection of similarly-veined songs from Newton sounds very current, while the all-round quality of the performances and writing sets her apart from other pretenders.

Promising from the start, with jazzy opening track ‘Outta my depth’ boasting a rich production and a ballsy, standout chorus, Everything you need is a consistently enjoyable EP, with the title tracking, midway through, providing the strongest moment. Instrumentally, it’s all pleasingly organic stuff, Newton providing the piano and backed by tastefully sparing guitar and brass work. The production is appropriately minimal, bringing across the warmth and simplicity of the songs unadulterated.

Singer-songwriters, especially the female variety, may be coming out in droves at the moment, but Steph Newton makes a compelling case for herself with these five songs; good luck to her.