The Elegance Machine

2015 album from the AOR rockers. In 1997 Singer, songwriter Steve Newman formed the band Newman and since 1998 have been producing consistently high quality albums filled with hook laden songs and thought provoking lyrics. The Elegance Machine is the culmination of songs written over the past two years and an album that once again encompasses what Newman stand for. The powerful guitars are present, as is the strong songwriting and huge melodies. But this time it also brings in modern influences such as on the title track "The Elegance Machine" and "Halo" giving the recognizable and reliable Newman sound a more contemporary edge. A natural follow up to Siren, the album delivers a harder edge than its predecessor, but without losing the emphasis on strong hooks. Steve has always been known for his thought-provoking lyrics, and The Elegance Machine is no exception with subject matter ranging from corporate business greed (`The Suit'), through domestic violence (`She Walks In Silence'), and even onto the space themed (`Prayer For Apollo'). Once again Steve has teamed up with Rob McEwen (drummer for the last eight Newman albums), and has also brought in the talents of Geoff Wootton backing vocals on "The Suit", "One Good Reason" "Halo", and Mark Thompson-Smith (Praying Mantis, Big Life) backing vocals on "Illuminate", "Send Us Salvation" and "Pretender Surrender".