Steven Garcia - undiscovered

Steven Garcia

Undiscovered
self-released; 2016

3.6 out of 5

By Mimi Strauss
​

Although Steven Garcia released his album in early 2016, its release date could easily be mistaken for 1984. A beefy, driving electric guitar plows through the twelve-track album entitled Undiscovered consistently taking the lead with familiar riffs and short, winding solos. Garcia pairs this guitar with frank lyrics that ask questions about relationships and love. 

Steven Garcia’s ’80s sensibility partially comes from his years spent with his previous Houston, Texas based band The Rachels. Signed with Six-Tone Records, The Rachels released four records. Their popularity came primarily from their live performances at which they would perform covers. The Rachels were known for their ability to perform songs requested by the audience, without a set list. Garcia recorded his first solo record in 2012, which received global recognition in indie-rock circles. 

To say that Steven Garcia is influenced by ’80s arena rock is a gross understatement. His music fully embodies the genre. Undiscovered is a loving homage to the arena era. Artists such as Rick Springfield and REO Speedwagon are close parallels to Garcia. These parallels arise through a loud and deliberate electric guitar and relatable, yet sometimes vague, lyrics about love and loss. 

Garcia delivers these lyrics with exuberance meant for an arena audience. Undiscovered needs a crowd to achieve full impact.  On the track “Feeling Down” he sings, “I can take you there. I can take you anywhere.” Familiar words set to familiar sounds.

At times, Garcia strays from the ’80s. His guitar gets a bit more fierce, some punk vibes slip in, and he comes into his own. On tracks like “Our Love is Fire” this can be heard. Influences from contemporary bands such as the Kings of Leon and The Killers seeps through. 

​Towards the end of Undiscovered, Steven Garcia reigns in the ’80s as well as the electric guitar. A softness appears on tracks like “Sometimes Love” and “Just Want to Hold You.” Further exploration into these softer sounds would be an interesting direction for Garcia. That being said, 1980’s arena anthems continue to be crowd pleasers, even in 2016.

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