Even though Belgium is just a short drive away from my residence, I don’t feature Americana music from that country too frequently. The more I was delighted to run into the debut album of Steve Leon & The Accusations. On 8th November 2024, the released Borrowed Time Bonanza.
Steve Leon & The Accusations – About The Artists
Steve Leon & The Accusations are a country–folk band from Antwerp in Belgium. The music of he band, which has released their debut EP Louche in 2023, is also having indie music influences. They are a sextet lead by Steve Leon (vocals, guitar). The other band members are Mila Francis (mandolin, violin, guitar), Yannick Hermans (guitar), Bouke Cools (pedal steel, dobro), Kristof Van de Vliiet (bass) and Tim Martens (drums). So far, the band is majorly touring Belgium and the Netherlands.
Steve Leon & The Accusations – Borrowed Time Bonanza – Track by Track
The ten track album lasts 44 minutes.
1. You blind me
The opener You blind me is a beautiful melodic country song with slight folk influences. The song is nicely supported by the pedal steel, which adds a really nice touch to the listen. A really good listen by the Belgian band.
2. Say it out loud
When I scanned the album and selected it for a proper review, Say it out loud was one of the song I felt being most interesting. And I still like. The melody has a clear Americana texture, but the energy reminds of indie rock songs. The chorus is the heart of this song. It simply stays in your mind.
3. Bound to break (radio edit)
Bound to break is one of two feature singles on Borrowed Time Bonanza. The nicely flowing melody is slightly contrasting nicely with the narrative style by Steve Leon on the microphone. The Antwerp sextet is doing a nice, characteristic song here, the background vocals by Mila Francis are also rather present.
4. Clowns
The rhythm, which reminds of a clicking clock, is one of the linking elements of this rather long (over five minutes) listen. The song takes a rather long intro. The warming, nicely flowing chorus adds a nice touch to the listen. I really like this one.
5. Live every day
The fifth song is a rather gentle and intimate song, majorly driven by the acoustic guitar on the instrumental side. This leads to a bit of a kitschy touch – but can’t we all use some additional emotions in the colder winter and Christmas season? I like this one.
6. Free
After the fine sound of Live every day, Free is quite a contrasting experience. The song wakes you up with some guitar riffs. This one is another song, which is beautifully illustrating the blending of country, folk and indie influences. It is just an easy to digest, easy to catch song, which is fun listening to.
7. No mirror
The slowly marching vibe of No mirror leads to a bit of Western music vibes. However, the song gains more and more energy. Otherwise, the five minute song might be a bit too tiring for a full listen. I don’t see it as one of the must-listens of the album, but it is having a nice vibe.
8. Until we fall
The slower track Until we fall rather leans towards country music again. The eighth song of Borrowed Time Bonanza also has a rather strong focus on the instruments. The chorus is another nice one.
9. Colours
Colors starts with the sound of a person entering a car in pouring rain. After this atmospheric element, Steve Leon & The Accusations present a nice indie-folk song, which is also driven by the present pedal steel sound. The song presents a nice flow with some
10. Fiction
The album closes with Fiction, which is one of the most atmospheric tracks of the album. I feel it really spreads some nice vibes and strikes with a good melody. Really like this one!
Steve Leon & The Accusations – Borrowed Time Bonanza – Spotify
Here is the album on Spotify:
Steve Leon & The Accusations – Borrowed Time Bonanza – My View
I would not see Borrowed Time Bonanza being on the very top of the releases this year, but I absolutely enjoyed listening to it. Steve Leon & The Accusations produce a very straight, relatable and characteristic sound, making good usage of their vocal and instrumental abilities. Thus, thumbs up for this one!
Favorite Song: Clowns
Flyctory.com about Belgium
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