Would You Stay is the Mush full-length debut from Los Angeles based auteur Steph Thompson, recording as Steffaloo. The thirteen-track album is a meditation on beauty and loss that uses the tape-hiss ambience and reverb drenched vocals of a classic bedroom recording to capture isolation and heartache in simple, yet near-perfect songs. The title track sets the mood of the album, as Steffaloo strums an acoustic guitar with a style that hints as bossa nova while she lists the things that she can't bring herself to do to save her relationship. Tracks like "Can't You See" and "I'm Sorry" marry subtle hooks and unexpected phrasing with perfectly matched instrumentation to create a haunting mood reminiscent of You Are Free era Cat Power. Throughout the album, percussion is used sparingly, be it a simple kick drum or washed out handclap, and never gets in the way of the song. A handful of chance-taking tracks, including the desolate campfire tale "Lonely Night" and the effected "My Heart Beats" break up the album. By the time the slightly out of tune guitar and pleading vocal of "The Whale And Me" and the beautiful harmonies of "You" close the album, it is clear that Would You Stay perfectly captures its author's distinctive sound.

www.mushrecords.com/release/MH285.php