There’s an undeniable electricity that pulses through Stephan Folkes’ debut album Hazard — an album that bends genre and convention with a fierce sense of individuality. Like the best moments in modern alternative music, Folkes doesn’t ask for permission; he simply creates. From the opening question posed in What Should You Do (For Your Whole Life)?, Folkes sets the tone: thoughtful, searching, urgent.
Drawing sonic DNA from soul, funk, dream pop, and indie rock, Hazard emerges as a kaleidoscopic expression of identity and perseverance. It doesn’t rest within any one stylistic boundary — Say It Like You Mean It rides a confident funk groove, while It’s All Within Time floats in cosmic, slow-burning R&B. The effect is spellbinding: a soundscape as rich in emotional nuance as it is in technical finesse.
But it’s the raw honesty that elevates this debut. Incomplete and Can I Be There? pierce with lyrical vulnerability, confronting emotional deflection and loneliness with poetic precision. Each track feels lived-in, drawn directly from experience and elevated by Folkes’ ability to tell the truth with melody.
At the heart of Hazard is survival — not just physical, but artistic, emotional, and spiritual. The title track crackles with confrontation, defiance, and an urgent call to protect one’s peace. It’s an exhale at the end of a long storm, with Folkes fully in his power.
Hazard isn’t just a debut; it’s a declaration. Stephan Folkes may be new to the spotlight, but his voice — genreless, grounded, and galvanizing — feels like one we’ll be hearing for years to come.
