Steven James Adams - Old Magick

ALL you need to make good music is a head full of ideas and the skill and confidence to see it through in the studio.

You do not really need the backing of 10 session musicians, an overzealous producer who polishes the songs beyond recognition and a cynical eye on the charts.

Steven James Adams and his new stripped back album, Old Magick, is proof of that.

The singer-writer and former frontman of the Broken Family Band said he wanted to make a record with minimal instrumentation for his second solo outing.

But do not expect it to have a minimal impact because of that.

Old Magick is a reminder of the power of acoustic music and with the songs focusing on the fears and frustrations of everyday life everyone can relate to the subjects here.

Opening track, Togetherness, is about how our society treats people from other countries, set to a disarmingly catchy and accessible tune. It proves to be the starting point.

Kings of the Back of the Bus is another highlight. The track reminisces about the days and adventures of carefree youth and how we all morph pretty much unintentionally into a subdued state of adulthood.

French Drop is a warning in song form about appreciating things while we have still got them and not taking them for granted.

While Sea of Words is about making time for the most important thing in life – love – when our busy lives often dictate us otherwise.

These are just a few of the songs in an album that gently weaves its 'magick' on you.

DAVID MORGAN