STEINBRINK,STEPHEN - Anagrams (CD)

Anagrams” is a bright, bouncy, surfy song with glimmering guitars reminiscent of the sun gleaming off the ocean. It’s a more straightforward tune for Steinbrink, who rose off of his more experimental sounds, but the buoyant aesthetic contrasts with darkly shaded lines like: “Is it true love? Do you feel the heartbeat too? Simulation of the deepest night of truth.” That incongruous mix creates a wonderful tension where the two opposing vibes meet rubbing against each other before the final piercing line “Reality doesn’t need to make me bleed” initiates a long cool-down fadeout. Listen.