We always hear the old cliche of people, well, journos and media sensationalists, looking for the new Dylan. Like we need one when man himself is still in the world.) But of course, even if we found someone, they wouldn’t sound anything like the original; that’s the whole point. The quest is for someone who fills that same place as him, in current times, not someone who sounds like a tribute act.
Given this debut single, I would argue that Steve Stinson is a candidate for the job. It’s too early to say, but “Always On My Mind” is the sound of his foot landing on the first rung of such a speculative ladder.
Its lyrics are poetic and poignant. Check. The music is well-wrought and understated. Check. The song brings together all manner of American music traditions – folk, blues, Americana, and pop. Check. It tells meaningful stories, is relatable and yet personal, artful and emotional. Check, check, check. All that, and it is just the opening salvo.
Okay, we don’t really need a new Dylan, and no two people would agree on what that would look and sound like anyway. Steve Stinson is not the new Dylan; he is Steve Stinson, which is all we need him to be, and he is here to write his own musical chapter. And as stories go, this first sonic line sounds like a career in the making. Only time will tell.
