Two Steps on the Water // God Forbid Anyone Look Me in the Eye

Two Steps on the Water

God Forbid Anyone Look Me in the Eye

Self-released

4.5/5 stars

Sometimes you accidentally wander onto something that you never forget. This is the case with Two Steps on the Water. Taking their band name from a Kate Bush lyric, Two Steps are a trio from Melbourne, Australia consisting of drums, guitar, and violin. Raw emotion hits you immediately. The opening track, "A Little Bit Scared," simply hints at the sentiment to come. It's a slow crescendo upwards to an emotional catharsis. Sierra Thorton's violin is shakily dynamic and commanding, sometimes accompanied with a tinge of trumpet. Singer June Jones' passionate delivery of her intensely personal lyrics forges a communion with the listener on par with Jeff Mangum. Using the language of folk, the sound exists between the spectrum of Andrew Bird and Ani DiFranco, with the punk sensibilities of Defiance, Ohio. Jones is a queer trans woman, who details her point of view throughout the record, most explicitly in "My Medusa," and the epic "Words in My Mouth." It's pure honesty, transcendent in its realness. God Forbid Anyone Look Me in the Eye is one of the strongest debuts in years. – Nick Warren