Phil Cramer doesn’t write songs so that others can easily cover them. As the brainchild and songwriter behind the Americana ensemble Steele Creek, the acoustic guitarist’s compositions resemble torn pages from a diary—deeply-moving testimonies based on personal experiences and meticulous introspection. Steele Creek’s sophomore effort, Towards the Light, represents the logical evolution from its 2022 debut, A Long Way From Home, ruminations of family and his North Carolina upbringing. Towards the Light is another journey, yet an inward one dealing with memories, family dynamics, fatherhood, and a continuous self-audit to ensure he’s the best he can be.
Though Cramer’s writing seems straightforward, it’s also deceivingly profound, such as “Resurrection Fern.” He uses the colorful analogy of a resurrection fern, a fern that repeatedly comes back to life on a live oak tree, as an illustration of the ebbs and flows of long-term love. As “Serpent’s Prayer” notes, our darkest moments often occur at night. But Cramer’s nary the doom-and-gloom pessimist, but contrarily the optimist, as exemplified in the soft, serene title track, “Towards the Light.” With the morning light comes optimism, hope for a better day, and the unending quest to be your best. “Nightmares come and then they go,” he sings in the second verse, followed by the insightful line that sums it up best: “Let’s see if we can find the morning star.” “Marrow” is also artistic. His desire to reunite with loved ones couldn’t be more potent than its last line: “I been missing you with all the marrow in my bones.”
The fact that Cramer openly shares his struggles without having all the answers is something that others will surely relate to. Photographer Ben Depp’s stunning aerial cover shot of a clump of trees sprouting out in the American Bay (south of New Orleans) fits the concept perfectly. Every day brings fresh, radiant sunlight and another round of hope.
Like A Long Way From Home, Cramer and Steele Creek fiddler and co-arranger Daron Douglas returned to Dockside Studio in Vermilion Parish to work with producer Justin Tocket and session musicians Ben Alleman (piano, B3 organ, Wurlitzer) and Bobby Junior (electric guitar, pedal/lap steel, dobro) whose creativity finished bringing these compositions to life. “Serpent’s Prayer” is one such example. As the song concludes, Bobby Junior, Douglas, and Alleman all trade sublime steel guitar, fiddle and piano parts for a gorgeous ending that floats effortlessly into the ether.
Unlike the folk centric A Long Way From Home, Towards the Light was written with a full band in mind after experiencing what studio musicians could accomplish when recording Steele Creek’s debut. Their stellar support allows the arrangements to expand and contract at critical moments to achieve the emotional impact for Cramer to express his tender feelings to the fullest.
Even though some tracks move slightly more than others, Towards the Light basks in a peaceful, tranquil ambiance. Cramer’s songs are frequently dotted with nature and geographical references, which adds an unexpected airy and spacious outdoorsy element to the proceedings. A beautiful set of tracks.
