Steph Hayes Made to Change
Hayes definitely pushes hard in the directions of rock and folk with her newest CD. And while the songs never run the risk of alienating fans familiar with Hayes’ other projects, they do impress with their energy and creative range.
“Vines,” the acoustic side of the album, is pure folk comfort, which shines brightest on the super-stripped-down “Slipping Through” and jazzy laid-back groove of “Banned Books,” which has the welcome flourish of a trumpet solo adding to its allure.
“Wires” musters up an impressive display of garage-rock and punk fury to augment Hayes’ lush guitar work on tracks like “Serious Drag” and “Truth Be Told.” Even better are the more groove-oriented songs like “When We Wouldn’t Die” and the E-Street-leaning “God Created Evolution.”
All the songs on “Made to Change” are undeniably Hayes, with her voice and vocal style always hitting the mark no matter what the genre. And with these results, she can take her time and play with different genres all she wants.
— Larry Nichols