New Album Reviews

May 4, 2026

By Declan Culliton

Steve Baskin and The Fourteens I Sometimes Think (Better) Vanelle’s Songs

The latest release from Atlanta-based artist Steve Baskin is a reworking of the songs on his 2006 album I SOMETIMES THINK. That debut album was an introduction to the recording process for Baskin, a ‘hands-on’ approach that found him playing on all ten tracks. For this 20th-anniversary edition, Baskin established backing band, The Fourteens, adding their groove and swagger to breathe new life into the songs. The Fourteens is Roger Brainard (guitars), Mark Socus (bass), Geoff Gill (drums, percussion), and Mark Van Allen (pedal steel). Vocals, guitars, mandolin and lead vocals are credited to Baskin, who also co-produced with Rich Herring.

In keeping with his back catalogue, Baskin genre-hops sonically from power-pop, country soul, and classic rock. The opening tracks, How I Feel and Where You Are, tick that power-pop box. The closing two, Bad Idea and I Sometimes Think, are full-on rockers. Elsewhere, Trip Begin is a highlight, loaded with screeching guitars and a Tom Petty-type rhythm section.

Matters close to the heart also feature. If the mandolin-led and slow-burning I Don’t Know Nothing (Love Song), complete with dreamy pedal steel, is a mature and heartfelt love song, the racy and somewhat tongue-in-cheek Lucy depicts teenage angst and longing. Including a Beatles cover is a brave move, and it could go either way. In this case A Hard Days Night, which was also included in Baskin’s 2025 covers album UNDER COVER, gets a sympathetic, soulful makeover that works.

More adventurous in arrangement and production than his 2006 record, the album certainly lives up to its title. The musicians excel at adding greater expression to the songs behind Baskin’s gritty, soulful vocals, offering the listener a rewarding, relaxed listening experience.