An album a long time coming but now the wait is over. At 8 tracks and 32 minutes, DEVIATE may not be the most populous new LP hitting the shelves but small and mighty is a testament to one succinct and on message. A handful of tracks have been comprehensively road tested over the last year through full band Steady Habits shows and those where Sean Duggan conveys the solo format. Whether a festival, support, main or invited slot, the missing jigsaw piece was always a well-stocked merch table, a previous sparse space about to be populated by one of the finest releases of the year, while stocks last.
The talents of Sean Duggan first came to light just under a decade ago in a duo act with his brother Kevin called Loud Mountains, particularly active in the Oxford area. With Kevin returning home to America, Sean turned his attention to fronting a band and the intent morphed into Steady Habits, an exciting live combo with Joe Coombs on lead guitar, Cathy Ife on bass and in-demand drummer Jamie Dawson completing the line up. Essentially the creation is a vehicle for the very personal songs of Duggan and this Brit-based American from New Haven Connecticut has stripped away many layers to tell a candid story awash with acres of stirring musicianship and a sound core to the ideals of Americana.
Title track ‘Deviate’ is the most identifiable of the gilded eight due to its permanent live set residence and an anthem for those bonded with all aspects of inclusivity and respect. While this ode to celebrating an identity gets many airings in safe and welcoming spaces, you sense an increasing confidence to spread its sincerity wider. The legacy of this true outing is the strength it instills in others to shed any masks of perceived difference. Maybe we are all born to deviate in our own personal way.
As strong and imposing as this signature song is, it shares a privilege place with seven other compositions that lift each other with their sparkling inclusion. ‘Mess of It All’ is fast becoming a live anthem due to its danceable qualities and like all of Duggan’s lyrical efforts possesses an engaging narrative that hitches you onto the writer’s wavelength. One play of ‘Garden State’ inspires you to learn more of the song’s content shaped by a dark and moody style in the realm of high quality folk rock. The surprise grower of this substantive collection is the final track revealing ‘Novelty’ as a top tune sculptured by a great melody where 60s dream pop slips into a twangy melter.
The leading single is ‘Stay’ which both rouses and inspires the listener with its certified excellence in a bout of relationship nostalgia. ‘Edge of Changing’ opens the record in passive waters as a sense of the challenge of change is grappled with. Duggan’s evocative vocals and harmonica playing impressively set the scene. This stylish opener slides into the more power driven ‘Archer Street’ as location gives credence to life’s portrayals. ‘Half’ brings the album up to full complement and is slotted into a pivotal position echoing the tone of the production as Duggan once again reflects with mixed emotion as the tempo gently rolls along eased with fine strains of pedal steel.
DEVIATE is an exhibition of glittering guitar work and serious songwriting giving Steady Habits a reassuring & relatable debut styled by articulating personal expression within a solid sound framework. Sean Duggan has a story to tell and its therapeutic qualities freely flow to fill a room.
