In the shadow of Manhattan’s unyielding gleam, where the Hudson whispers secrets to Jersey’s resilient underbelly, BB Stevens’ Hoboken emerges not as a mere postcard from the Mile Square City, but as a sonic scrapbook stitched from its frayed edges. Dropped September 19 on Stryker Records, the Hoboken native’s latest full-length clocks in at a lean 12 tracks. On it he blends classic rock’s gravelly swagger, blues’ late-night confessions, and post-psychedelic haze into an alt-Americana brew that’s equal parts nostalgic exhale and forward-glancing shrug.
Hoboken ignites with “2025,” a propulsive opener that welcomes us all to the new year with its riff-driven pulse grappling with the vertigo of newspaper headlines. BB Stevens’ voice is a raspy baritone weathered by too many winters playing bars on Sinatra Drive. He croons over twanging guitars and a backbeat that evokes the clatter of the PATH train. It’s a mission statement for the record’s core tension—yearning for the analog soul of Hoboken amid the digital deluge of today.
Midway through, Hoboken hits its stride like a fever-dream stroll from the Elysian Fields to the shadowed piers. “Gravity” anchors the set with a slow-burn blues lament, pedal steel keening like foghorns over lyrics that dissect love’s inexorable pull. Echoes of early Ryan Adams’ whiskey-soaked introspection abound, but BB Stevens elevates it with post-psychedelic textures—a hazy organ swell that dissolves into reverb-drenched feedback—turning personal ache into cosmic drift. It bleeds seamlessly into “Artificial Intelligence,” a sly rocker that skewers tech utopianism with classic rock bombast in an anthem rock tone. A psychedelic undercurrent questions progress in today’s world.
BB Stevens New Music Video For ‘Rainbow Connection’
Then comes the curveball: a tender rendition of “Rainbow Connection,” the Muppet perennial that BB Stevens flips into a hymn for the locals. His voice cracking with unguarded vulnerability, it’s the album’s emotional north star—a bridge between childhood wonder and adult disillusion.
Extending the sonic arc is “The Future Backwards.” A track that spirals into psych-blues oblivion. The gravelly vocals drip with emotion. It’s the kind of track that demands vinyl’s warm crackle, a nod to the post-psychedelic sprawl with the bite of Blues and Americana cementing it as a BB Steven staple.
This is a project that prioritizes heart over polish. It accurately captures BB Stevens’ hometown as a character unto itself: gritty, whimsical, and eternally on the cusp. It stands as a beacon for roots-rock renegades, proving alt-Americana’s pulse still beats strong and has the freedom to expand and explore other genres.
A string of additional jangly fun tracks like “Sexy Lex’s Jive,” “Accountability” and “Wake Up” add to the pulsating raw energy that BB Stevens has become known for. Cue up Hoboken on a crisp November evening and the artist be your guide to the busy little city on the Hudson across from the bright lights of Manhattan. BB Stevens has bottled his city’s defiant spark for all of us to experience.
