Steven Faulkner – “Keep On”

Steven Faulkner – “Keep On” – Single Review

“You mind if we play you a little something new?” says the artist or band from the stage.

The crowd goes nuts, even though they know they won’t be able to sing along this time.

Then, said band or artist launches into the aforementioned something new, and things get quieter & quieter…partly out of the natural reaction to hearing something new, and partly because it didn’t even sound anything like what you thought you were going to hear, and you really don’t know how to react.

You ever experience anything like that?  Trust me when I tell ya, I see it out in the crowd all the time.  For better or worse, moments of transition within the sound of a band or artist you love can make for some of the most memorable material you’ll hear from them.  That doesn’t mean the transition itself has to become permanent of course, but it does confirm a desire to explore what you’re capable of on a creative level when you hear the sound of music doing something different than you were expecting.

Like take this new cut by Steven Faulkner for example – after hearing previously released singles from earlier this year like “I Do Still Believe,” and more recently, “Last Drunk Guy,” you probably wouldn’t assume you’d be finding something that sounds like “Keep On,” because…well…why would you?  You might be able to cite a few points of comparison to something like “I Do Still Believe” thematically as Faulkner gets back to his optimistic side here once again in 2026, but the Venn diagram wouldn’t have too much more of an overlap than that.  Stylistically, Steven’s shifted his sound here, more towards the Folk side of things, bordering real close to what many would consider to be Americana.  The irony of which, coming out after the release of “Last Drunk Guy,” is certainly not lost on me – iykyk.  With gentle brass in the background and the sweet sounds of violin up front, “Keep On” has a charming element to its whole atmosphere that seems to fit Faulkner’s persona quite seamlessly, and I wouldn’t imagine that his message of hope at the core of it all would be any kind of tough sell to the masses out there.  What he’s singing about is not only true, but it’s likely quite important for some of you to hear right at this very moment.  I’m not going as far as to say this wouldn’t be similar to other things you’ve heard in the lyrical sense, but by the same token, each time we hear this kind of message through music it continues to reinforce a steady level of hope in this world…and we need that, collectively, don’t we?  I have it on pretty good authority that that’s exactly what many of you people are listening to music for in the first place, and if that’s you, then here’s your cue to check out the latest from good ol’ Steven Faulkner.  It’s a quaint reminder to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and I think we can all genuinely use that kind of delicate guidance from time to time.  He’s created an audible safe space of sorts, and I would bet that there are many listeners that will appreciate how apt & relatable this intimate moment in music is.

One line in particular kept finding its way back to me…where he sings “time is a healer, more than you think.”  First of all, he’s not wrong.  Secondly, that might not seem like something a Bob Dylan or an Joni Mitchell would write on account of it coming across in such a plain way, but the line is likely more insightful than you might realize.  Honestly, I think you have had to have lived a certain amount of years before you can even begin to understand what’s really being said here, because you need to take that journey all the way through the extremes in order to fully grasp what the serenity and calm feels like on the other side of it.  So yeah…”time is a healer, more than you think” – because when you’re younger and you’re really going through it, feeling all the feels and such, you can’t wipe the tears from your ears fast enough to see what tomorrow even looks like.  The future itself seems IMPOSSIBLE to get to, and whatever it is that you’re going through, seems like a storm that will never, ever pass.  The thing is though…and Steven knows this to be true at this stage of his own life…it does.  At some point, for reasons both known, and/or sometimes even unknown, the shittiness of circumstances and situations WILL come to an end, I guarantee it – but you have to “Keep On” in order to find that out.  That doesn’t mean whatever comes next won’t be a challenge too…it very well could be…but that calm and peace you’re looking for internally eventually comes directly from all your life experience, and that will help you SO MUCH when it comes to dealing with every external problem that comes your way.  That’s not me telling you that you’ll never need a box of Kleenex again because you’ll never shed another tear – that’s me telling you, from my own experience, that your ability to handle things increases exponentially with time, essentially because you’ve been there and done that in your own way, and you’re ready for whatever comes next because you’re more prepared and equipped with the right tools mentally.  Soon your whole attitude and outlook on life itself begins to change, and you really start to tap into the best version of being YOU.  Heck, for some folks like myself, who felt like they spent years toiling away in that storm of emotions like a prisoner in isolation, coming out of it all can feel like meeting yourself – your true self – for the very first time.  Words can’t even describe the feeling of relief and personal peace in that moment…and I like to think that we all have that ahead of us, as long as we “Keep On” keeping on.

Now…before you think I’m letting this man with the best of intentions entirely off the hook here – I will say this…there’s still a conversation we could easily be having over the timeless debate surrounding the potency of happy songs versus sad or angry songs…and don’t get me wrong, it’s a valid one.  I don’t know that I’d go quite as far as to say that “Keep On” would necessarily fall into the ‘happy’ side of that scenario…it’s more reflective and optimistic than something that could be described so quickly as just a ‘happy’ tune, but it’s close enough that you get the point…Faulkner might still get a bit of push back on a single like this, because we have spent years with him exploring more intense or aggressive sounds over the years.  That being said, I think if you look at his body of work as a whole, you’ll find his catalog is truly relatable to what I was talking about earlier on and how we have to navigate the storms of life and such in order to get through to the clarity we’ve been so desperately searching for.  The only difference between Steven and the rest of us is that he’s had the courage to take us all on that journey WITH him in the music he’s put out…so we’ve experienced those ups & downs of life through his own perspective, as well as our own, and I’m sure many of us that have been paying attention have learned a few things from him along the way as a result.  And we’re better for it.  So while knowing all that isn’t simply going to change your own personal taste or whatever in terms of how your ears respond to the actual sound of “Keep On” in a stylistic sense or genre-wise, whatever – I think the hearts & minds out there listening will find the level of sincerity and down to earth wisdom in a song like this hits the mark of its intentions.  It’s a different kind of tune for Steven this time around, but creatively speaking it’s just as important to “Keep On” in your craft as it would be in the other areas of an artist’s life…and it’s our responsibility as an audience to afford our musical heroes/people we know the opportunity to grow, learn, and evolve as they rightly should.  Regardless of how any of us feel about this song stylistically, it’s still professionally executed, and in terms of his own growth as an artist, there’s no doubt it’s still another step forward.

Find out more about Steven Faulkner from his official website at:  https://stevenfaulknermusic.co.uk

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