▁of ▁A ▁Promise . ▁To ▁afford ▁the ▁trip , ▁he ▁opened ▁his ▁equipment ▁to ▁local ▁punk ▁and ▁s ka ▁bands ▁as ▁a ▁recording ▁studio . ▁Stewart ▁described ▁the ▁period ▁between ▁Kn ife ▁Play ▁and ▁A ▁Promise ▁as ▁full ▁of ▁" re ally ▁bad ▁things " ▁in ▁his ▁personal ▁life . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Stewart ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁very ▁influenced ▁by ▁gam el an ▁and ▁Korean ▁and ▁Japanese ▁folk ▁music , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁listening ▁primarily ▁to ▁contemporary ▁classical ▁and ▁" g ay ▁dance ▁music ". ▁ ▁Br andon ▁St os uy ▁of ▁P itch f ork ▁said ▁that ▁Stewart , ▁" one ▁of ▁under ground ▁music ' s ▁consist ently ▁brilliant ▁anom al ies ", ▁" c ame ▁into ▁his ▁own " ▁on ▁A ▁Promise , ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁vocal ▁style ▁was ▁compared ▁with ▁Robert ▁Smith , ▁An nie ▁Len no x , ▁and ▁Michael ▁Mc Donald . ▁He ▁noted ▁a ▁" cont in ual ▁po etic ▁and ▁rom antic ▁beauty " ▁behind ▁" the ▁violence " ▁in ▁Stewart ' s ▁lyr ics . ▁ ▁The ▁tone ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 4 ' s ▁Fab ul ous ▁Mus cles ▁reflected ▁an ▁" in cred ibly , ▁incred ibly ▁violent , ▁incred ibly ▁j arring , ▁and ▁difficult ▁to ▁take " ▁string ▁of ▁events ▁in ▁Stewart ' s ▁life . ▁ ▁When ▁interview ing ▁for ▁The ▁Air ▁Force ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Stewart ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁year ▁was ▁" one ▁of ▁the