Steve Boyd and the Loners - King of the Loners (2025) Hi-Res

This is a debut which basically follows the path dipped ever so gently in a cauldron of classic pop-rock that permeated the ’60s/‘70s. The varied influences include the swampy rock of Creedence Clearwater Revival (from California), Bob Seger (a hard rock, bolts & nails Detroit musician), & Tom Petty (a melodic Floridian jangle-jangle rocker who straddled the beams between classic rock & new wave).

Nashville-born multi-instrumentalist Steve Boyd’s effort is a good effort. A generous exploration of personal freedom, loss, resilience, reinvention, America’s current identity & interesting storytelling. The self-produced 13-track King of the Loners (Dropped Nov 14/Bass Dog Records/48:29) has a versatile musical vision. Steve has been doing a lot of avoiding in his quest to sidestep life’s distractions. He admits he went to college to avoid Vietnam (that didn’t happen to me in 1971). If old enough to recall the draft lottery like me, college was not the answer; Canada was. Steve also joined a band to avoid college. I played in a band at college & got lots of gigs. We must’ve travelled different paths. It sure made for good songwriting, though.

“When the West Was Won” is a pleasant protest song that itemizes & comments on certain dry environmental challenges. I like the tune; it carries a good, worthy message without getting too far up the public’s pant leg. It doesn’t get preachy, aggressive, or accusatory. Steve manages to outline his message with a light touch.

Vocally, the material has merit & despite Boyd’s limited range, he has personality in his tone & has a broad country brush even though the music’s not wholly based on country forms. Steve’s voice is mindful of Gram Parsons with a swipe at Moby Grape in their more countrified era, & the pop generalities are the sound of artists who charted & had abbreviated careers. Like the Americana-country group Mason Profitt & Epic recording artists West.

Steve’s higher register is appealing (“King of the Loners”). He doesn’t have the distinctive vocal prowess of Alex Chilton of The Box Tops, but does have a similar mainstream pinch as former Windbreaker, Bobby Sutliff (“Same Way Tomorrow”).

The songs have good titles & the music is played well. Steve has good melodies, but his signature sound is a blur of other notable artists. Is this bad? No. He’s managed to reinvent the style & keep it simplistically refreshing. The influences are obvious but not in an appropriating way.