Steve and Dolapo – “Solid Ground”: An Uplifting Album About Love and Unity
Digitalization has really served us well most times, and sometimes too we all can agree on its negative impacts. How it’s imparted the musical scene can’t be overlooked, it use to be difficult for people living in different continent to sometimes collaborate without having to meet in person. But these days, how two best buddies living continents apart can craft a massive fourteen-track record without accidentally starting an international incident over time zones is a fun puzzle, but Steve and Dolapo make it look effortless. The American and Nigerian singer-songwriting duo has given us their second vinyl release, “Solid Ground“, and it’s one hell of an album.
The project which was recorded between Steve’s studio in suburban Ann Arbor and Dolapo’s setup in Ibadan, the album blends indie pop, soul, R&B, rock, and global textures into a theatrical, uplifting experience like never. I love how the work feels quite personal. It was built on decades of choir experience and a staggering multi-instrumental palette handled entirely by the pair. Together, Steve and Dolapo are able to create music that feels like walking into a sunlit community hall where every member of the choir greets you with open arms and genuine joy. It’s lovely, lively and lives up to its expectation. Lemme take you through some of the tracks, and experience it for yourself.
“Fresh Squeeze” welcome listeners with open arms and a carefree, happy-go-lucky groove. I love how the vocals move around each other here, it’s got a fun twist with it, you can feel each instrument here, it’s got that jazz setup, with horns weaving around the beats in style. It’s a track that serves as a tribute to finding your tribe, using bright arrangement choices to instantly lift you out of the daily doldrums. There’s no better feeling than finding people that love doing the things you also love doing and even things you wanna explore, it instantly makes your everyday better where you can’t wait to always be around them. It’s an infectious track that after listening, you will end up jumping around repeating “bring it on, bring it on, bring it on”.
“Make A Sound” comes in with a bit of laidback self-aware rhythm. It’s that track that you play and those in the backseat sings together with each others voice without sounding like the artist. It’s all about accepting who you are, believing in yourself and believing that you too can do what everyone can do. No need to try and sound like someone else, not being shy about your choices and not forcing it on others either. It’s really a beautiful song wrapped in a playful, confident arrangement. When you go to the club, don’t be shy to dance even if you suck, you don’t know the smile your dance may put on someone’s face, haha.
“Every Colour” burst with vibrant energy, got an upbeat attitude and acts as a colour-blind celebration of human connection. What are we if we can’t enjoy each others company because someone’s brown, someone’s black, someone’s white? Meanwhile that person you probably don’t wanna have any connection with, might actually be a very good person you need in your life, their vibe and everything makes you genuinely happy, so we should be more open to every colour and live freely instead trying to discriminate others. I love how the production layers rich vocal harmonies to highlight our shared similarities amidst staggering differences. At the end of the day, accept who you are and also accept that people are different and that doesn’t mean we all can’t coexist peacefully and happily.
On “Yes I Do“, we switch things up a bit into a more joyful romantic mood, in everyone’s life back then, we all dream of this day when we finally say yes I do. The thrill of it, the joy in those words, and the mood shifter it brings finding out that someone’s on the same wavelength as you. The track is a very busy track, the instruments racks up in different sets and smashes you with pure fun and joy. Finding that person for a lifetime is really something we all want or dream of, so it happening right in your eyes creates some sort of mix feeling of joy, surprise, happiness, and leave you in awe.
“Light Up Your Mind” starts with this choir sound that immediately pulls you in, it’s a very energetic track that says hey, shake off those fears and wake up! Don’t stay in your shelf, you’ve got the power to change every situation, so why are you allowing your mind to wander around, when you can light it up and feed it with positivity. Feel free, and have no worries, there’s no need to bother so far as you have life, everything will click one day. I love how bright keyboard flourishes and eager percussion push the listener toward self-awareness and personal growth.
Well welcome to a more relaxed, vulnerable and romantic moments on the album with the track “I’m Yours“. Loving someone wholeheartedly sometimes makes you question yourself a lot, especially these days, you wonder why you can’t even live without them, but to them sometimes they find it hard to believe that indeed you’re truly theirs. Sometimes both sides of the coin are all in shock that they’ve met someone who genuinely likes them. I love how warm and grounded the atmosphere feels here, allowing the instruments to sweep you into an emotional territory where sincerity takes over.
The track “In Your Dream” is very cinematic, the way it starts straight with those horns blowing feels like sleeping and having a nightmare and someone wakes you up, and says hey it’s okay, that’s life. Anything can happen, but so far as you give it your all, even that darkness that comes and makes you scared, can’t defeat you and just know it’s a dream! I love how the production builds subtle dramatic tension, urges you to hold steady through distractions. We can’t loose focus because of a little hiccup, shake it off and keep moving. Just know there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
We all wanna be “Free”, but sometimes life takes us through a lot that we even forget how it feels to be actually free. What’s our definition of freedom? Is it about being able to do whatever you want? Or fighting a mental health for Soo long and coming out on top? This is a track that makes you take a deep breath, and reevaluate personal definitions of liberty. I like how nothing feels rushed here, it’s a calm, steadier track that lets you reflect on what freedom means to you, finding the strength you need and being ready to fly high!
Now that we are free, can we then move in a “Slow Steady Roll” manner? This is a track that pushes you to take things easy on yourself. Be calculated, recalibrate a lot of things, and put your life on the right path you need to be. Being slow and steadier doesn’t mean you’re not rolling, you’re just being cautious, because it took you some work to get to where you are, so why do you wanna rush at this moment? Life can be stressful and push you into the very things you never planned to, but in the end, take things calmly, and move with purpose. Find the balance in this chaotic world we live in, it’s all you gonna need.
It’s been a great journey, and why great journey needs a “Solid Ground” to end on. The title track does it all for me. It closes the album on beautiful note. When the storm blows, when the struggles hit like in track 13, we will all need that solid ground to stand on until the storm is over. You get rich baritone roots, soaring tenors, and warm instrumentation providing a comforting finish, proving that stability waits on the other side of the storm. No matter how much difficult things may be, know that though it’s wet here, but the sun will shine again and we will find a solid ground again.
Now that’s a solid album to blast, “Solid Ground” has proven to be a great listen by offering us a rare dose of unbridled positivity and top-tier musicianship. The album has delivered brilliant vocal harmonies, genre-crossing instrumentation, and a reminder of what true collaboration looks like. Taking us through love, uncertainties, life and finally finding our place in a chaotic world where value has diminished. I say go ahead, stream “Solid Ground” and find your footing!
Enjoyed that and want more from Steve and Dolapo? Check them out on the links below;
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