Steven R. Smith will release Half Light Unfolding on September 4th via the Seattle,Washington label Eiderdown Records (who are also releasing the new Nick Jonah David album we mentioned today).
Smith has been making music since the mid-1990s, based out of Los Angeles. He records under his own name and as Hala Strana, Ulaan Khol and Ulaan Passerine, among others. He played in the improvisational group Thuja and was part of the Jewelled Antler Collective. Dozens of albums across all of those projects — the discography is hard to keep track of.
Half Light Unfolding puts Spanish guitar and piano at the centre. That’s new for Smith — his records have generally piled up electric guitar, overdubs, heavy layers of sound. This one goes the other way. Ten tracks, recorded between April and June 2025 at his Worstward studios in Los Angeles. He plays everything: bass, electric guitar, harmonium, organ and drums as well.
Music journalist Marc Masters, who wrote the album’s press notes, calls it “a true landmark in Smith’s career simply due to how different it sounds.” The acoustic guitar and piano give the songs what he describes as “an austere, even baroque aura,” while retaining the slow-building arcs that have defined Smith’s work across decades. Masters highlights Year of the Trees and Yarrow as standout moments, and points to Sea Grass as evidence that the album’s range extends well beyond its quieter centre.
The album is dedicated to the memory of Alan V. Smith (1934–2025).
Half Light Unfolding is available to pre-order now on Bandcamp.
Half Light Unfolding (September 4th, 2026) Eiderdown Records