Poetry in Motion

Is it early Peter Gabriel or a more articulate Thom Yorke that Charleston-native Steven Fiore conjures on stage? Either way, the force of his expression is vital, passionate, and beyond mimicry.

At the end of April, the musician released his first full-length album, Youth and Magic.

“It was written over three and a half years, so the inspiration comes from all over. The songs are about love, family, doubting faith, and a splash of the book The Little Prince,” says Fiore.

The album has a meditative quality driven by the elliptical, melodic expression of his guitar work—the man’s got real chops. Signed to Universal Music Publishing, Fiore’s song craft is crisp and deliberate yet nonlinear and daring enough to allow the listener room for personal interpretation. In other words, he’s striving for poetry in motion. “A fairy tale and a paradigm, combine to push the stars in line,” he sings in opening track “White and Blue.” “I’ll keep yours for as long as you’ll keep mine.”

Songs such as “Flicker and Fade” have a Paul Simon-esque flippant rhythmic spirit: “You talk like whiskey but you taste like wine,” the narrator opines. Although youth fades, the magic of this artist’s music just might be ageless. Catch him performing live with Brendan James at the Charleston Music Hall on July 13 (click here for details).

To watch Fiore perform songs from his new album, click here.

Enter to win a copy of Youth and Magic (six winners will be selected at random) by clicking here.

To read up on the artist—and preview tunes from Youth and Magic—click here.