For some, music is a welcome reprieve from their day job. If you know the name of Steve Hiett, you no doubt think of him as an iconic fashion photographer, his vivid, over-saturated colors, informal framing, and natural poses encapsulating the stylish looks of ’70s and early ’80s. But in his downtime, he would daydream on guitar. During his lifetime, Hiett released only one album (in Japan, naturally), 1983’s elusive Down on the Road By the Beach, but right before his passing in 2019, ten more pieces were prepared as Girls in the Grass.

Much like the literal title of his first album, Girls in the Grass features such similarly themed photos in the artwork. The music –Hiett’s effected guitar alongside gentle drum machine patter– might alight on 12-bar blues and early rock’n’roll, but as if remembered after waking from a nap. While Beach evoked the languor of the Mediterranean midday sun, the songs here suggest the late afternoon, when energies start to perk up. Each song has the effect of a charcoal sketch, a quick Polaroid, Hiett capturing an effervescent moment in time before moving on.