Can You See Forest for the Trees? Not Just Yet

When you hear the song “Dream” on the radio, as you often will if you listen to KROQ-FM (106.7) these days, you’d swear someone has come up with a record that perfectly defines the contrasting pop textures of the moment.

The record, credited to a band called Forest for the Trees, is a captivating collage of hip-hop beats and such world music exotica as a rippling Celtic bagpipe plus personal lyrics full of striking imagery.

It’s so right now that it’s hard to believe that “Dream” has been sitting on the shelf at Geffen Records for four years.

And it’s even more surprising that it took so long for this record to reach the airwaves when you consider the architect of this music co-wrote and co-produced the record that four years ago seemed to define the textures and tones of its time: Beck’s “Loser.”

Though few people took the time to read the credits at the time, “Loser” wasn’t just the work of Beck Hansen, but a collaboration with a young musician named Carl Stephenson. Even before Beck signed on with Geffen himself in early 1993, Stephenson was given a contract there by label A&R; executive Tony Berg. Soon the artist submitted an entire album of songs that expand on the vivid concepts of “Dream.”

So, why did Berg sit on the album all this time? For the executive, it’s a delicate matter.

“After he delivered the album, I could see there was a lack of closure for him,” Berg recalls. “He began to tinker with the record, remix and reexamine everything. We were thrilled with the record, but as I watched his distress I could see there was more going on than frustration.”

What was going on was the onset of what Stephenson’s upcoming press bio describes as a mental illness that largely debilitated the artist--a situation that culminated with hospitalization last year.

Recently, though, Stephenson’s condition has improved dramatically and his family and doctors felt it would be good for him to have his work in public.

The collection will be released Sept. 9 by Geffen’s sister label DreamWorks Records, though it’s already generating interest. KROQ led the way, thanks largely to the boosterism of deejay Jed the Fish, while KCRW-FM (89.9) has also been playing several tracks from the album.

But what remains uncertain is whether Stephenson, who just turned 30, is ready for the public eye.

“There’s a microscope that one is put under when one puts out a record,” Berg says. “And a record like this that garners a lot of early attention can be very stressful upon any young artist, and particularly one who is vulnerable.”

The Geffen and DreamWorks staffs are handling the matter very cautiously. At this point there are no plans for Stephenson to do press interviews--he isn’t even quoted in the official bio that will be sent to the press. Instead, family and associates speak for him.

And in the video for “Dream,” recently completed by director Kevin Godley, Stephenson is seen only briefly in a still photograph. However, the musician has started tentative rehearsals with his band, though no official plans for live performances have been made yet.