Stephanie Says - Sex, Socialism, Seaside
Stephanie Says is an appropriate moniker for English born, Minneapolis based singer-songwriter Stephanie Winter, formerly of the Legendary Jim Ruiz Group. It’s not just because of the obvious inclusion of her first name, but it’s also the title of a song by the Velvet Underground who had a close affiliation with Nico, whose vocal styling Winter obviously invokes on her debut solo album Sex, Socialism, Seaside.
Though Winters cites bands such as Blondie, Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello as being influential on her style, from the very first song on the album, “England,” the listener immediately conjures the images of Nico and Petula Clark, whom Winters sounds like more. Despite the naïveté of her vocals and her breezy but bittersweet pop music, she takes on weighty issues. The second track, “Holocaust,” is about exactly what you would think – the Holocaust. Winter sings with childlike simplicity, “I know it’s not over / I know there will be more / I wish it was just a story.”
On the remainder of the album, as far as lyrical content goes, Winters conveys her own personal loss, pain and loneliness, mostly in terms of romantic relationships. “One of These Days”, a blithe and upbeat pop song that belies it’s darker content about the end of a relationship, even utilizes lyrics of “la la la la la, la la la la.” The next song, “Afterwards,” is less cluttered, and unlike the other songs which featured a full band, this one is just Winters on vocals with some light guitar and keyboards behind her. This song focuses on the aftermath of a relationship.
These are followed by a song sung entirely in French, “Qu’est-ce que tu fait?” This loosely translates into “What are you going to do?” It sounds like a happy tune, and unless the listener knows French, they will never know what she’s singing about. But if this song is like any of her English ones, with sanguine melodies that contradict the stark lyrical content, then this tune is likely just as somber.
The eighth track, “I Hope You’re Happy,” picks up the beat a little, especially compared to other tracks, by featuring the drums more prominently. Lyrically, the content is similar to the other songs about having trouble moving on from the end of a relationship. Winters asks her ex, “I hope you’re happy / Now are you?” She then goes on to sing, “You made your bed / You made it for everyone / Now we all have to lie in it.”
The final two songs of the album are mellower, with Winters on vocals and just an acoustic guitar playing behind her. In “Where Is the Reason?” the first half of the song is sung in French, but the melancholy feel still bleeds through. She ends the song in English. This is followed by the final track, “I Am Free,” which along with Winters vocals and the acoustic guitar of the previous song, they throw in some light keyboard playing. The title implies a more hopeful outlook compared to the other songs, but Winters sings, “I am free inside these walls.” So despite the title, she’s not exactly singing about her liberation from her relationship.
Anyone who’s a fan of 60s garage or bubble gum pop would probably want to check out this album.
