Harvest Moon Review - The Equal Ground 27/8/2014
http://www.theequalground.com/indie-music-album-reviews/steve-horne-harvest-moon
When you listen to Harvest Moon from Steve Horne it’s like taking a peek into moments of his life. Most if not all of the songs on this album were inspired by true-life events. These are lyric based songs, which tell a story over acoustic, organic instrumentation. In addition to being able to listen to a narrative throughout most of the album Horne brings melodies and harmonies that make the music appealing from an aesthetic perspective. He implements electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drums and orchestral strings providing a rich variety of sounds.
The album starts with a song called “Today,” which I am willing to bet is his wife's favorite song on the album considering he sang it to her at her wedding reception. It’s an upbeat, well-written song, which is a perfectly fine way to start an album. The theme for “It’s All Over Now” is evident in the title and I’m glad he didn’t pick this song to play at his wedding. There is a great acoustic guitar solo towards the end of this song that you won’t want to miss.
“Skyview in Jasmine” is one of the highlights of the album, which creates a dichotomy of emotional weight. The vibe of the song is rather light and happy while the actual subject matter delves into the dark subject matter of suicide.
“Silver Angel” is an emotional heavy eight-minute song, which spews solace and melancholy. Horne sings with conviction and it is obvious that the song is close to his heart. He sings, “When I have grown too weary when the world is just too hard I know she’s looking out for me though i know all things must pass.”
As the album progresses Horne unleashes a couple more notable songs such as “Ride” and “With You.” One of the biggest strengths with Harvest Moon is that all the songs feel connected musically but still have enough variation to keep you engaged. Not every song was a hit but a majority of the album works on a number of levels.