StevieRay Latham - Winter in London (2016)

StevieRay Latham releases his outstanding sophomore record 'WINTER IN LONDON' on 2nd December 2016 via At The Helm Records. Following the release of his debut album 'Modern Attitudes' in 2015, StevieRay Latham spent several months camped out in Italy writing and touring. He returns in 2016 with his sophomore album, Winter in London, marking a departure from the lo-fi folk aesthetic of his debut as it explores the wider sonic reaches of the alternative indie realm. Whilst the emphasis remains on virtuosic songwriting, this album sees the young artist diversify as the arrangements grow to include everything from drum machines, synths & samples to mandolins, flutes & strings. 'Winter in London' is a point of reflection for a musician who, having spent time writing and gigging across Italy, France & the UK, still finds inspiration in the city he left behind two years ago. Accompanied by a short story which parallels the album's narrative, 'Winter in London' is a tale of sordid characters set against the bleak background of London's backwaters. In the ambient drenched folk of the title track through to the gothic funeral march of 'Concubine', a deeply personal vision of London is revealed through an intricate web of interconnected urban details, meanwhile dystopian realities of city life are present as much in the bright, indie pop of West Hendon Incident as they are in the sloppy, garage-blues of Late Night Conversations. Recorded at the home-studio of acclaimed musician and producer Peter Bruntnell, the presence of Latham's touring band can be felt on 'In the Valve' whilst spacious string & synth textures blanket the album's epilogue, 'This is the Love.'