After twelve albums, Stephen Jacques has developed a clear understanding of the landscapes that suit his writing. His songs tend to work best in places where movement, memory and uncertainty meet, and on ‘Les Surfeurs de Santa Cruz’, the Charlottesville songwriter turns towards California’s coastline for a collection shaped by open water, personal risk and the mythology surrounding life beside the Pacific.
Produced by Jason Narducy, the album was recorded at the Chicago studio associated with Steve Albini, where he previously made two records. Engineer Taylor Hales captures a direct ensemble sound that appears to favour performance and interaction over extensive studio refinement. An approach that is appropriate for material built around guitars, rhythm and narrative detail.
Here, the artist is joined by Chris Siebold on guitars and pedal steel, Gerald Dowd on drums and Vijay Tellis-Nayak on keyboards. Their contributions give the record a broad tonal range without obscuring its songwriting. Siebold’s pedal steel reinforces the Americana character of the material, while his electric guitar work adds a rougher edge when the arrangements require greater weight.
Dowd’s drumming provides a steady sense of momentum, allowing the songs to move without becoming overly forceful. While Tellis-Nayak’s keyboards contribute atmosphere and depth, particularly within passages intended to evoke distance or reflection. Together, the musicians create a sound capable of suggesting both the physical scale of the coast and the more personal stories unfolding within it.
The French title ‘Les Surfeurs de Santa Cruz’ lends the project a slightly removed quality, as though its characters are being observed through memory or retold as part of a regional legend. It gives the album a cinematic suggestion without requiring the songs to become overly stylised.
Stephen’s experience as a storyteller helps keep that imagery grounded. His writing has generally focused on characters, using physical details and familiar situations to approach larger questions. And while the coastal setting expands the scale of those stories, it doesn’t replace their human centre.
Following an already extensive catalogue, ‘Les Surfeurs de Santa Cruz’ doesn’t need to establish Stephen Jacques’ credentials as a songwriter. Its interest lies in seeing how his established voice responds to a different region and its associated history.
And rather than romanticising the coastline completely, he allows its beauty and danger to remain closely connected. ‘Les Surfeurs de Santa Cruz’ appears to understand that the most compelling landscapes are often those that offer possibility without ever promising safety.