Debut Album Review for Dean Aslett’s QUIET STORM
Earlier this month, I reviewed ‘Beautiful Chaos,’ a single from Quiet Storm’s new record, by the seasoned musician, Dean Aslett, produced one of the finest independent tracks I’ve heard this year with ‘Beautiful Chaos.’
For the purposes of this review, I delve deeper into eight other tracks Aslett has released… Let’s get into it.
‘For the People’ continues where ‘Beautiful Chaos’ left off sonically, endeavoring into a uniquely wonderful atmospheric environment chock-full of synthesizers and droning piano. The song elegantly combines a classical influence with pop sensibilities and modern electronic instrumentation. The beautiful piano is contrasted perfectly by sparse electronic beats and fleeting synthesizer notes. Aslett harmonizes with himself to create layered landscapes of intriguing musical possibility, and I particularly like the effects he’s chosen to dip his vocals into. There seems to be some very light pitch correction on the vocal pieces, which I actually love.
He’s a great vocalist, and doesn’t need to be corrected. Thus, when he uses effects that sound like auto-tune, it actually adds a dynamic layer to the performance that it didn’t have before. (I’d argue Kanye West pioneered that technique, at least in popularity, in 2008 on ‘808s & Heartbreak.’) Before the song explodes in a cacophony of wonder, Aslett even utilizes the effect as a vocal instrument – really intuitive stuff. As the song concludes, a female vocalist slowly seeps into the soundscape, hauntingly accenting Aslett’s brief musings. (And they are brief – the song is mostly ‘lala’s,’ which is just fine since it’s so gorgeous.)
‘Should Have Known’ occupies a different space from the other pieces on ‘QUIET STORM,’ but the common threads are also still in abundance. ‘Should Have Known’ is a bit more depthful lyrically, allowing Quiet Storm to thrive as a songwriter, not just a producer and instrumentalist. That instrumentation is, however, different on ‘Should Have Known Better.’ The electronic stylings are far more ambitious on this effort, foregoing the atmospheric pastures of ‘For the People’ for a sound that borders on rock and roll or dance music. The defining highlight of the entire track? The guest vocalist. Oh my goodness – She absolutely owns the performance. Her dramatic pieces are like something off ‘Dark Side of the Moon,’ taking ‘Should Have Known’ up not just one notch, but several. That woman transcends this song in a realm that it wouldn’t have come close to occupying without her. That speaks to Aslett’s ability to produce his music and place other artists throughout when necessary. Those soulful croons in the back of the song stick with you long after its run its course. Actually, they’re the thing that keeps me coming back to it.
‘The End of Summer’ is an enigmatic number on this record. For starters, it actually introduces an acoustic guitar matched by cascading synthesizers of ethereal nature. Aslett’s presence on the track is unhibited here – on other songs, he blends into the backdrop and becomes one with his backing composition. On ‘The End of Summer,’ however, he takes the spotlight with a deeply introspective jaunt through soft imagery and lovingly placed sound effects. The song does feel rather sublime and withheld, as if it’s about to explode but doesn’t afford itself the opportunity to.
That may sound like a criticism, but I don’t think it is, at least, depending on what you want out of the sound. I’d argue the tempered nature of the tune showcases that Quiet Storm isn’t just pandering to what he knows will get people rocking and numbers flying. A conscious choice was made in the composition of this piece to not explode in that fashion, even though the piece hints and teases at it throughout. It makes ‘The End of Summer’ one of Quiet Storm’s more enjoyable tunes in this release.
‘Shame of Love’ is an entirely different persona than ‘The End of Summer’ or ‘Should Have Known.’ ‘Shame of Love’ is definitely a dance floor track. It has a bit of a ballad feel to it, yes, perhaps even a bit of anthemic style. The beat, though, is ultimately dance-infused and I’ll argue 100% that is where this song would be most at home. Now, dance music is often synonymous with cliche and lack of creativity. (I’m looking at you, disco.) Fortunately, Quiet Storm defies that stigma and manages to produce something that is not only very danceable, but intellectually deep and musically provocative. It reminds me a bit of the late 70s anti-disco movement that ultimately birthed new wave. Bands like Joy Division and the Talking Heads exploded onto the scene with music that was very danceable in the club, but actually quality music as well. ‘Shame of Love’ is absolutely within that vein. Hell, you could make the debate that ‘Shame of Love’ has direct parallels to bands like Joy Division, or perhaps more accurately, the band’s later incarnation, New Order. There’s an infectious danceability to this music that lines right up in that heritage.
This track, I Could Almost Cry Now, is a mid paced pop/dance track that is quite an epic at over five minutes, but justifies its length easily as the music builds gradually throughout the song. Starting with Dean’s distinctive vocals and piano, it progresses to a sparse verse of a four to the floor kick drum, hi hat and deep, pulsing bass.
Dean has a warm, charismatic and distinctive voice that gives the music a strong sonic identity. Singing in the lowest part of his range for the verse, he switches to an octave higher for the song’s main vocal hook, ‘Where was your heart when I needed it most?,‘ which makes for a good contrast with the verse. Around the two minute mark a full beat develops, and Dean is joined by some soulful female vocals that compliment his voice well. After the track breaks down briefly it builds up for an uplifting final minute, with all the song’s elements coming together.
Overall, this is a very strong pop/dance track that ticks every possible box in terms of commercial potential, perfect to take to radio (though a shorter version might increase chances of airplay) and an ideal track to try to get played in clubs. To my ears, it sounds like a huge hit in the making, possibly worldwide.
‘The Fading Light’ aligns with ‘Shame of Love,’ utilizing a very similar “smart but danceable” styling. It’s a slower tempoed tune, though, and would definitely elicit a very different reaction from a dance floor. Notably, ‘The Fading Light’ is lyric-heavy. In that sense, it’s just a fantastic exhibition of electronic pop. The song ‘Should Have Known’ earned my high praise for its use of that female guest vocalist. I believe the same woman is on the final mix of ‘The Fading Light,’ which truly rounds out the song in a very similar way to ‘Should Have Known.’ I’ve mentioned this before, but it does bear repeating: Aslett never loses his pop sensibility. That’s important to his sound and wonderful as well. Also something else I previously mentioned: go listen to ‘Dark Side of the Moon.’ Seriously, that’s the lineage of the vocal style that woman is utilizing to back Quiet Storm. I’m beating a dead horse, yes, but she is a resounding high point of the record whenever she accentuates the masterful soundscapes Aslett is crafting. ‘The Fading Light’ is definitely an important piece of his creation, even if it’s a more subsided piece.
‘You Make Me Shudder’ and “Show Me” combines a bunch of the elements I’ve touched on separately throughout my review of these tracks. First of all, Quiet Storm does begin “You Make Me Shudder” in a very simplistic fashion, even bringing back the acoustic guitar. Very quickly, however, the sound evolves into the most upbeat electronic dance piece of the entire record. The mix is so compelling to me, mostly because Quiet Storm’s beats aren’t stereotypical or generic.
If you listen very closely, the acoustic guitar is actually mixed into electronic drum beat. How cool is that?! Thus, there’s a compelling point to be made that ‘You Make Me Shudder’ is the productional highlight of Quiet Storm’s new album. It combines just about everything he’s hodge podging together into a surprisingly coherent piece of art. The layered synthesizers dance with one another on top of that incredibly well-made beat, making the song a memorable one as Aslett backs himself with some echoing backup vocal samples and string sections. I’m not sure how he’s synthesizing his string sections, and I assume they are synthesized since nearly the entire sound is, but they sound convincingly good. Some synth strings can really be kitschy. That’s definitely not the case at any point within Quiet Storm’s new music. That’s impressive.
It seems fitting that ‘Your World’ is the last song I’m delving deeply into by Aslett in this release. If ‘You Make Me Shutter’ is the productional highlight of the record, then ‘Your World’ is the compositional highlight of it. The established electronic beats are infused with acoustic percussion, very world-sounding percussion at that. Aslett croons in a lower register as waves of his vocals and a reverberated woman waft through your speakers. The world influence is what makes this composition so utterly creative; you could draw a parallel between ‘Your World’ and the sound of some of the best musicians of the last half century. Right off the bat, ‘Your World’ is incredibly similar to the high points of Laurie Anderson’s career. (Check out ‘Home of the Brave’ or ‘Strange Angels’ and you’ll see the comparison immediately.) That’s a very, very high compliment. Who doesn’t love Laurie Anderson? Oh, and the end of ‘Your World’ erupts into a full rock piece with a full band and a traditional drum kit. Absolutely cinematic – it’s the best composed piece of the bunch by an insane margin.
By Brett Stewart
I’m a professional writer and editor, a journalism major, and I have extensive experience in musical review. I worked for two years as the Editor & Chief of an arts magazine, Strike Magazine, where I worked closely with writers and musicians. Through this, I was able to interact with dozens of acts including Heart, Holly Williams, Robert Cray, John Hiatt, and more. The magazine printed thousands of issues and was even recognized by Rolling Stone’s founder, Jann Wenner.
Exclusive Interview with Dean:
Exposed Vocals: Welcome back, Dean! We’ve got a lot to cover so let’s get right to it. For a musician that is teetering on the line between upcoming and successful, how do you feel about your tracks “I Could Almost Cry” and “Show Me” being played alongside Tayler Swift and Ed Sheeran, both with very strong chart positions in the U.S and the U.K?
Dean Aslett: I’m thrilled to know that my music is being aired amongst today’s most popular and biggest current selling artists globally. A dream come true!!!
Exposed Vocals: Let’s talk about your new single “Beautiful Chaos” due out in Mid-October! This is exciting news, what can you tell us about it?
Dean Aslett: We wrote it back in 2011. The initial recorded version was very different to the version you are hearing now. In fact, it’s become an entirely different song. No matter how much I liked it, I always felt the original version had a very traditional rock song structure like something from the late ’70s. It did begin to jarr on me. It eventually became apparent that the song didn’t fit in with what I was doing now, although I knew it was very strong melodically. It then evolved (like so many of my songs) over a long period of time.
When I finally gave the song to my producer Steve Emney to work on it, (I had been working on it on and off for around 3 years) he played inversions of the verse chords which altered it to such a degree that it inspired me to come up with a new lead vocal line and lyrics. This naturally gave a different emphasis to the chorus which has also now changed quite dramatically. It’s a different record now. However, the message is still the same –
The song is about looking back on a doomed relationship but with vivid colourful memories.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you want to be with your music career in the next five years?
Dean Aslett: I just want to be in a position where I can continue making records comfortably. However, I would also love to be globally revered and adored by women all over the planet! I wouldn’t mind if the men gave me a second look as well!
Exposed Vocals: When I interview songwriters, I often ask them to quote a song lyric that means something to them. It can be quite revealing. Something you’ve written or anything else that comes to mind?
Dean Aslett: A lyric by Vinnie Reilly of the Durutti Column, “you don’t say what you mean, you don’t mean what you say”. Never a truer a word spoken, that’s for sure and one that has haunted for me for years!
Of my own lyrics, they also tend to come from the heart. I would never commit to paper otherwise. Far too embarrassing! Whilst an inspirational and instant lyric is fantastic when it works, I tend to spend a lot of time thinking about lyrics before committing to paper. I am drawn to vivid or lucid imagery in my lyrics.
I suppose I did read quite a lot when I was younger, the classics – Keats, Wordsworth, Dickens, TS Elliot – there’s a richness to the English language that is very romantic. There’s a song I wrote called “You Make Me Feel Alone”. The song didn’t make it in the end on this album but it maybe on the next release. I was very pleased how the lyrics turned out for that one. They also took me a long time to complete -15 years eventually! A relief to have completed them.
Exposed Vocals: Let’s talk about your November 2nd Album release. What can we expect?
Dean Aslett: It is my first album release. I think it’s important that it sets out emotionally where I am and how I feel as person now, which I think it does. It’s a very emotionally driven record and whilst the first few singles are aimed for the dance floor, I like to think there’s a touch of melancholy to those releases. The melancholic mood continues as the theme for the album – so it’s important. It may surprise people that the record isn’t strictly uptempo. There’s some slower tracks on the album and also some much darker stuff as well for sure.
It was always my intention was to have a record tailored for the island of Mykonos. I did finish another album of original songs back in February of this year. I was really pleased with it but it was a bit obscure, not really commercial. I took a break in Devon back in the UK and then started recording again with producer Jack Ruston in Brighton UK during the Spring. By that time, the sound was really evolving into something a lot more immediate. It just evolved over a period of time. I then moved the project to Malta where my current producer Steve Emney is based. The sound evolved again and some of the songs from Mykonos and Brighton have ended up on the new album but again, they have changed as to where they were to where they are now with some new songs added in to the mix as well. I enjoyed working in different locations whilst making the record. It kept me stimulated and the changing environments rejuvenated me and spurred me on.
Exposed Vocals: As your music career has progressed – is there anything that you regret not doing?
Dean Aslett: I was in a songwriting partnership with a lifelong friend for years and years. The friendship side of things seriously stopped the music from progressing past our mid twenties. Relationships, marriage, business, divorces and the usual suspects… all played a part in this. It was only when I started working on the music on my own that it’s become a lot more my serious and has now has became my career. Better late then never!
Exposed Vocals: What skills/personal attributes do you feel are most important to being a successful musician?
Dean Aslett: Determination is the vital ingredient. I am always very excited when writing a song, so yes,it’s the energy you bring to it as well.
Exposed Vocals: There is something very special about working from the ground up and building your career slowly so that it is strong and long-lasting in the future. Do you agree with this or have a different formula?
Dean Aslett: Yes I do agree wholeheartedly. Whether it’s writing songs or recording them, I’ve always been knitting away in the background. Many people were unaware I have been making music for all this time (30 years) or if they were aware, thought I had given up on making music a long time ago…
I’m a firm believer that thing happen for reason. I’ve tortured myself for decades thinking what would have happened if my music had become a success a lot earlier. But as they say, hindsight is 20/20 vision. To be honest, I doubt if I would have handled it that well…I’ve seen what can happen now and I am lot more cautious, wary of various aspects of the business…
Exposed Vocals: I strongly feel like most artists need to spend less time looking at what others are doing – if you set your own trajectory then you will be right on schedule. Do you agree that “comparing” yourself to other musicians is a mistake? What are your thoughts on this?
Dean Aslett: I can only speak for myself on this. I would say that it’s important to follow your heart and gut instinct. Many people have told me over the years, why don’t you write a dance hit? Why don’t you write for a BoyBand? Why don’t you appear on The X Factor? From my point of view, you have to do what you feel is right for yourself. I firmly believe if you believe in what you do, you will eventually succeed no matter how bizarre what you are doing may seem!
Exposed Vocals: Personally, I feel that connections are very important. I always try to be aware of who’s around me and the first impressions I give people. What is the importance of the connections you make? How do you utilize them?
Dean Aslett: Well, if you’re going to promote something independently, you have to try and utilise every connection (no matter how important or insignificant). I’m a firm believer that if you throw enough mud at a wall, something’s gonna stick!
Exposed Vocals: It’s hard to start a business relationship within regards to promotional services or exposure outlets. For me, the best way to gauge someone’s credibility is to ask someone else who has worked with them. How do you avoid scams or being ripped off? There seems to be more and more shady services popping up and taking advantage of unsigned or indie musicians.
Dean Aslett: Well, you can always Google for negative feedback regarding the “firm” offering the service. That is what I tend to do.
Exposed Vocals: As for artists who are just entering the game, there is alot of work to be done. You will feel like you are working your butt off any getting nothing in return…maybe for years. But eventually, if you are working hard and consistent, you will begin to see payoff. Do you agree with this? What would you say to musicians just entering music world?
Dean Aslett: P A T I E N C E. When you do make it, everyone will say “you’re an overnight sensation!” LOL!!!
Exposed Vocals: Is there anything else that you’d like to add before we wrap this up?
Dean Aslett: I am heavily involved promoting the new album for the rest of the year and early next. However, I do envisage another album for the end of 2016. Hopefully, it will be a short sprint. Still dancy but I also want it be a bit more rockier and incorporate a few cover versions as well. Any suggestions? Answers on a postcard please!
