Steve Haley is a singer-songwriter based in Sackville, New Brunswick. In addition to his solo work, he also performs as part of Blue Horse. His most recent album, Heat Vision, was released in 2017. After several quieter years, Haley returns this year with a new record, Secret Knock.
The album brings together eleven tracks running close to three-quarters of an hour. For a folk record, that’s a generous amount of music – but the opening track Secret Knock immediately shows that this album has many corners and unexpected musical detours to explore. On the title track, Haley is supported by backing vocals; the piece moves at a slow, deliberate pace and highlights his precise, emotive singing. Instrumentally, it recalls Jason Molina’s work, especially thanks to the slide guitar that helps create the almost devotional atmosphere of the opening. It’s unusual for an artist to open an album with its longest track, but the nearly six-minute Secret Knock proves to be an excellent choice.
Lettin’ It Spill follows in a similar instrumental spirit, though it’s more direct and energetic, with the highlight coming in an instrumental passage roughly halfway through. The fourth track, I Dreamed You, shifts into a more electric direction — with a full band giving the song a warm folk-rock, even country-rock, feeling.
One of the record’s highlights arrives at the midway point with Dark Soul, which begins with a surprisingly upbeat acoustic guitar and again brings to mind Jason Molina (Songs: Ohia) in the verses. The real treasure here, however, is the emotional chorus, lifted by what sounds like a harmonium – a detail that fits beautifully into the arrangement. The album’s range of instruments is genuinely refreshing throughout.
In the second half of the album, When I Die immediately stands out. Like Hard To Put a Finger On, it leans toward a sparse, minimalist, lo-fi production style supported by harmonica – a sound that suits Haley remarkably well. When I Die in particular reminds me of my favorite Jackson C. Frank record, largely due to its beautifully melancholic melody.
The album’s ending brightens with Burned Bright, where the instrumentation seems to open even further: you can hear banjo or mandolin adding extra color. My personal favorite, though, is the closing pair of tracks. Driftwood, the penultimate song, once again leans on a rich palette of instruments and supportive backing vocals. It creates an almost magical atmosphere – one that reminded me of a recent week spent in an off-grid cabin, where the days were filled with chopping wood, tending the stove, warming up by the fire, watching the pond slowly freeze, listening to birdsong, and occasionally spotting deer crossing a nearby meadow. That same warm, quietly radiant mood permeates Driftwood, and really the whole album. The final track, Where It All Ends, uses echo and a slightly more experimental tone; the vocal sits prominently in the mix, while the minimal instrumentation gives the song a timeless quality.
Instead of presenting Secret Knock merely as a bundle of older material finally released, the album feels like a decade’s worth of private reflections finding their natural form. Themes of mortality, restlessness, faith, longing, and the everyday rituals of domestic life drift throughout the record as landscapes to wander through. Secret Knock is a richly textured and thoughtfully arranged folk album that showcases Steve Haley’s emotional songwriting and vocal precision. With echoes of Jason Molina, touches of lo-fi intimacy, and a wide palette of acoustic and electric instrumentation, the album moves effortlessly between warmth, melancholy, and subtle experimentation.
This album was discovered via Submit Hub
motel void 
Leave a comment