Protest songs come in many shapes and forms and this powerful offering from US newcomer Stephen takes on the guise of an electronic soul missive. "He trades his guns for love / but he's caught in the crossfire / and he keeps waking up / but it's not to the sound of birds," croons Stephen on 'Crossfire', a soaring lament for global violence, bloodshed and tyranny. Buttressed by the whoomph of bass and backmasked guitar, his impressive voice moves from dark and twisted low-end, to earth-shattering falsetto, and that's even before the dramatic coda has reared its head. -AW