During the final verse of ‘Out in the Boonies…’, the title track of Greg Steps’ debut album, the Melbourne (via Brisbane) songwriter tells us “They say that poetry in a place like this cannot be/I beg to disagree”. It’s a fitting way to summarise much of this debut record - one that revels in coming to terms with adulthood and finding joy in life outside the hustle and bustle - largely thanks to Greg’s ability to paint such evocative and incisive pictures from the minutiae of everyday life.

Right across the album Greg finds no need to look further than unadorned folksy arrangements and his tender, expressive vocals to get his direct messaging across, another hint of his capacity to make the plain and mundane feel rich with colour. On opening track ‘Destination Unknown’, he sings “End of the day and I’m stuck in traffic once again”, his tone exasperated while a content acoustic guitar rollicks behind, seemingly from where he’d rather be. Similarly, ‘The New Saturday Night’ blends calm piano and a lilting fingerpicked guitar to evoke the tone of his evening, and on ‘Call of the Wild’, a swirl of free-wheeling guitars mingle with Greg’s rambling lyrics, mimicking his storytelling as they sound equally graceful and unbound.

Because of this nature of Out in the Boonies…, there’s strangely not too much to say about it; at least not what Greg hasn’t already said far more articulately through his songwriting. It’s a kind of album that has nothing to hide, nor does it want to - instead, by relishing in each seemingly simple moment while managing to conjure a tangle of acute emotion, this collection of songs opens outwards to us, and there’s nothing better to do than grab a seat, maybe a cold drink, and make yourself at home.