…better things to do… Maybe Stefan has had better things to do than make a solo album… but we should all be happy that he finally did. Stefan Gunnarsson has been well-known among musicians for many years, but he has only gained wider attention over the last few years as one of the pianists on the popular Swedish Television show, Så ska det låta. He definitely deserves the attention. Stefan is an in-demand musician and maybe that’s why it’s taken him 25 years to make this, his debut album!
You can tell that this album was made by someone in love with music. You can feel the joy, the pain, and the emotions in every track. Stefan puts his heart into each vocal and even though he is a “monster player” he doesn’t get carried away by playing flurries of notes in his piano solos: he always plays the “right” notes and plays just what each track calls for; no showing off…. just pure musicality.
Stefan does so many things well; he’s an accomplished singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, guitarist, drummer, trumpet player, producer… you get the point. When it comes to music, Stefan can do everything. And he did… in addition to lead vocals and keyboards, Stefan contributes with bass, guitar, trumpet, drums, percussion and background vocals.
His melodies ride on grooving tracks that always include a few nice surprises. The songs and lyrics are well-structured and tailor-made for his soulful voice. You can hear R&B influences like Stevie Wonder in songs like ALL OF MY MIGHT, and Earth, Wind and Fire in WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH. Stefan’s more rock and soul influences are apparent in songs like BETTER THINGS TO DO and AS YOU GO ALONG.
You can’t go wrong with this album: you get fantastic songs, soulful vocals and a great sounding album, played, recorded, produced and mixed to perfection.
Hats off to the fantastic band that Stefan put together for this album; Rasmus Kihlberg on drums, Johan Granström on bass, and Göran Eriksson and Erik Bernholm on guitars. Special mention must also be made for the recording by Åke “Donken” Karlsson, Erik Bernholm’s mixes and co-production, and the horn arrangements by Hasse Hjortek.
If you like timeless, quality music then the debut by Stefan Gunnarsson is an album you should have in your collection.
Outstanding tracks: Better things to do, As you go along, Words are not enough, Gotta find it
