Connor Stephens - Hangin' On For Dear Life
There is something about a quality album that you have to listen all the way through. With modern music promotion being so single heavy, we forget the heyday of dropping the needle or popping a CD in and listening all the way through. It is something I would encourage with Austin based singer/ songwriter Conner Stephen’s latest album Hangin On, produced by veteran Texas producer Chad Mauldin at KSIJ Studio.
Stephens is a true-Americana artist. He doesn’t stick to one hard genre concept, but rather builds on the many variations of Country and American music over the last eighty years. Hangin On opens with Backroads, a captivating, blue-grass inspired Americana track. Weaving his vivid storytelling, the tune evokes the specters of Steve Earle or Tyler Childers. Stephens shifts to heavy Honky Tonk sound with Certain Kind of Lover, a smoky heartfelt dance floor twirler that is the first tonal shift on the album. The song explores the complexities of relationships, with the narrator ready to cut the pent up tension between themselves and their object of affection, leading to an Urban Cowboy like romance story. He follows it up with Do You?, a sedated singer/songwriter track that delves into vulnerability and self-discovery. Here, Stephens and Mauldin push into a more contemporary production style. It Ain’t Fair keeps the melancholic tone of the previous track, building on the sparse and airy instrumentation like a West Texas sky.
The back half of the album sends us back to the Honky Tonk. The train drum beat, fiddle, and steel guitar will conjure comparisons to early Mike & The Moonpies on the title tracks Hangin’ On and Wasted A Good One. The Southern Rock influenced Shine a Light tears us away from the smoke and the neon, immersing us in a John Mayer-like haze. Stephens brings it full circle with his folksy Hey Ma, a sweet, Flatland Cavalry-like tear jerker that gives the whole album a soft landing.
Throughout the album, Mauldin’s production at KSIJ Studio puts a shine to Stephens’ songwriting with its attention to detail and ability. From acoustic intimacy to vibrant Honky Tonk brawlers, each track on Hangin’ On benefits from Mauldin’s expertise in capturing the essence of Stephen’s musical vision.
It is not just a collection of songs but a cohesive journey through themes of love, resilience, and personal growth. Mauldin’s production elevates each track, letting the album resonate with authenticity and emotional depth, appealing to fans of contemporary country while honoring traditional roots. T
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