Stefan Westโs debut, Just Another Sunflower, Searching For The Sun, gets you going back to the days you were stuck on heartbreaks, healing, and reflecting. Rooted in indie rock but layered with folk vulnerability and punk edges, the album offers an intimate portrait of a man slowly piecing himself back together. The title alone hints at the spiritual longing woven through the record like a tender metaphor for chasing light in seasons of darkness.
The opening track, โHard Times,โ sets the tone with Aaron Schembriโs thick guitar fuzz and tight drums leading the way. Westโs vocals arrive low, introspective, and heavy with truth, delivering lines like โSitting in the backyard drinking until the morningโ with emotional clarity. By the chorus, ghostly harmonies lift the mood just enough to offer a sliver of hope. It embodies the tug-of-war between despair and determination.
Mid-album standout, โTake What You Need,โ shifts gears with a brighter, more countrified sound. The anthemic drums and horns wrap around Westโs voice, now softer, more giving, as he pleads, โWell everybody come and take what you need / Just watch me bleed.โ No wonder this track has earned the highest stream count.
Then comes โThis Isnโt Me,โ the final track hits like the goodbye letter you didnโt know you needed. With stripped-back acoustic guitar and a voice nearly cracking under the weight of regret, West sings like heโs trying to freeze time just long enough to explain himself. Itโs a heart-stopping closer.
Listen to Stefan Westโs soul on tape in Just Another Sunflower, Searching For The Sun on Spotify.
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Photo Credit: Jake Plumridge
Review by: Naomi Joan