Steven Raekwon Reynolds performs as S. Raekwon, but his second LP is simply called 'Steven'. Across 10 tracks of furious and subtly strumming guitars, groovy bass riffs, and whispering revelations, S. Raekwon’s newest album strips back sonic and personal layers to present his most vulnerable, yet authentic self. A bi-racial, multi-hyphenate born in Buffalo and now based in the East Village of New York City, Steven wrote, produced, engineered, and mixed everything on the record, in addition to playing every instrument except the drums.
Mastered by Heba Kadry, Steven sounds exposed and immediate, a palpable evolution from S. Raekwon’s 2021 debut album Where I'm at Now and 2022 EP I Like It When You Smile.
Transforming his fiance's parents' 100 year old home in Southern Illinois into a makeshift studio, Steven and drummer Mario Malachi spent a week sitting face-to-face in front of a mic tracking songs in single takes to create the album. It was a new way of working together; Mario hadn’t heard any music before the sessions, which created a sense of spontaneity and improvisation for the duo.
Baring himself in full musical honesty across the album, S. Raekwon attempts to bridge the gap between the art and the artist. It’s a portrait of strengths and weaknesses, flaws, and fulfillments. “Steven is the sound of me holding a mirror up to and critically reflecting on who I am — the good, the bad, the ugly,” he says. “It’s about trying to understand the multitudes within me.”
