Punk and folk have always made easy bedfellows, something perhaps to do with their shared honesty, their authenticity, their songs-of-the-people status, that makes them comfortable in such proximity. And so, as Stefan West’s latest single, “paint me how you see me” shifts between one musical genre and the other, moves between delicacy and drive, grace and groove, it does so effortlessly.
Moving from the realms of folk balladry through more indie-rock realms and finally into searing punk-infused echelons, this is a song that surrounds itself with everything that the best music enjoys. Its initial folkiness comes from a modern indie place; its rock energies are entertained just enough to avoid any baggage or cliche, and when it embraces its punk urges, it does so in both a melodic and muscular manner. The result is a song that is more than the sum of its parts. Way more!
But perhaps it is the song’s lyrical honesty, intimacy, and, dare I say it, the artist’s vulnerability is the real charm here. Stefan West makes music that deals with the stuff of life, explores what it means to be human, and which acts as a sonic document of one person’s thoughts about this all-too-brief journey we all make.
As such, his music speaks to us, communicating not just through the actual words but through their deeper meanings and implications. Although songs such as “paint me how you see me” seem straightforward, they are both perfectly simple songs yet ones that are layered in subtle and nuanced meanings—just like life itself!
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