Great, but a grower!
Jason C. Whittemore | 08/10/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I wasn't sure at first, but after a few listens I put this up there among their top albums. It's definitely a grower, so don't be expected to be blown away right away. Stand out tracks for me include "Trucker's Son," "Shane," and "Lose My Mind.""
Most underrated artist in recent memory
Jason C. Whittemore | 08/15/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"every Starflyer album for the past several years has been following a similar sound.
i mean this statement as a compliment. i am still a fan of Jason Martin, though it has been many years since i first stopped
listening to most of the Christian-associated artists i liked when i was a teenager in favor of better music. the reason i keep
going back to Starflyer is because Martin has carved out his niche - he has a mostly predictable sound, let's face it, but sonically
the songs are there, and lyrically they are quite earnest. Martin's understated lyrical style has always suited his melodic sensibility,
and he is consistent with this musical pairing which is why none of his albums have ever disappointed me.
the song "shane" immediately stood out, but shortly thereafter i began going back to "trucker's son," knowing that Jason and Ronnie have always helped to run their father's trucking business. the blue collar ethic of both of these brothers inspires me to be a better person and has for years. i come from a similar background and have similar populist sentiments.
another killer track is "coconut trees." note the completely badass ending to the song which almost comes out of nowhere but makes complete sense anyway by the time it hits you full force.
i think this album is excellent all the way through, and also one of the better indie albums of 2010. certainly it is one of the most instantly likable, not only for its sound, but for its emotional honesty. Martin even turns up the rock and roll on "Cry Me A River," placing this "I am the Portuguese Blues" themed heavyweight immediately after the epic close to "Coconut Trees." Truly, this is a purposeful sequencing choice we can all appreciate.
i can feel the personality behind these lyrics; listen to "the morning rise" and let me know if you're not feeling Jason's mid-life crisis through the words and the general vibe of this instant Starflyer classic.
listen to it from start to finish. perhaps use a decent set of headphones and tune out the rest of this mad world. become a fan of Starflyer if you haven't had the good sense to do it already. buy all of the albums starting with Silver if you've ever had a broken heart and start working your way up from there.
finally, if you are a musical adventurer also support Ronnie Martin, whose songwriting abilities are only eclipsed by those beautiful otherworldly synthesizers always trying to steal the show."
Solid listen throughout - best release since 2003's "Old"
Miguel | 08/11/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you know nothing about this band, this may be a good place to start, but so would albums, The Fashion Focus, Leave Here A Stranger and Old.
I've never done like a real, review type thing, but these are just my thoughts (more or less copied from the Starflyer message board where we're lamenting the ball-dropping that is label Tooth & Nail's utter disservice to actually delivering physical CD copies to major retailers. tsk tsk Brandon Ebel)
So i give the album a solid 4 out of 5. (per my iTunes star rating average)
Thematically, the lyrics deal with being a 40-something and still being in an indie band and questioning whether or not to continue when you've basically done it as a side job for the last 15 years. ' Shane' & `Trucker's Son' ended up being some of the better songs on the album, which is sorta a bummer, cuz i'd hope for more tracks i hadn't heard yet to stand out (and `Coconut Trees' sounds like a "My Island" b-side). but I Had A Song For The Ages really surprised me. i love that one. Cry Me A River is the best song i've heard by that title (here's lookin at you Justin Timberlake and New Amsterdams). it's not the most memorable really, but i really dig its groove. "Time Machine" also commands attention as a stand-out track in its complete left field keyboard intro
In fact, a couple songs just aren't very memorable.. I can admit that. But part of the charm is that front-man Jason Martin keeps writing more new music every 1.5 years or so and in doing that - finds time to give you several great nuggets in a very wide variety of music styles. (they have been around since 1993/1994 and nearly every album is different from the last musically...) The songs, even the less memorable ones, have that pleasant jangle Starflyer fans have come to expect coupled with Jason's signature lead lines, with a slightly more western tinge. the drums are for the most part, softer and compliment the overall style very well... more so than the last 2 albums in particular.
but overall i really enjoy it. i like how upbeat it is at times and yet it weaves into slow and western-y style tunes other times. Jason's voice is so much more confident these days too which is such a great thing..with the vocal note bends he's doing now. i think CMAR and `Kick the Can' really highlight this aspect. (and the drums in Kick the Can - ha wow - you'd think Bazan or Lenz was playing)
This album is already being negatively compared to 2008's "Dial M" album as too similar. i think i like it more than the previous album cuz after a while, the synth thing sorta wears on me. this record has a better flow, more breathing room in the songs, seems more organic... just seems airy and breezy like "I drive a lot" (lead track from The Fashion Focus) felt when i first heard it.
for those keen listeners and sci-fi/horror fans, there are plenty of Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) references as well as a couple Western film references (chiefly "Shane") throughout the album.
really - the only downside, like most Starflyer releases, is that just ends too soon. here's to hoping the bonus 7" coming with my delayed vinyl copy provides more great music nuggets.
"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1