If new wave is vying for a comeback, Stellastarr* is here to trumpet its arrival. The sound is something the hip outsiders from your favorite 80’s movie would listen to. This is the kind of band Duckie brings Andy to see in “Pretty in Pink.” And just like Duckie, some might like Stellastarr* and others might not be so impressed.
The music is well-crafted and intense. Songs like “My Coco” and “In the Walls” swell with big guitars and big vocals crying out for attention.
The songs often lack instantly catchy hooks and the music is inherently dynamic, taking a few spins to get listeners involved. Distorted guitars, heavy bass lines and pounding drums never exactly congeal. Some songs could have played better in a pop context but the musical dissonance continues. Eventually the strange melody flows and the songs become catchy in their own way.
Undecipherable lyrics disguise meanings that are off-kilter and hard to grasp. The lyrics are bizarre if looked at on the written page, but in context of the song, paint pictures of “left- of- center” lifestyles.
Stellastarr* uses the same vocal dynamic as other acclaimed
alternative bands such as the Talking Heads and the Pixies – a male lead
singer with a female backup singer.
Singer Shawn Christensen contorts his voice to levels seemingly unnatural.
Shawn must have honed his talent with a few Cure albums as a guideline, moving from singing to screaming to strange squeals, all while keeping the melody but still sounding just a tad off.
Christensen’s voice works well but on occasion bassist Amanda Tannen sounds like she is dying for her chance to shine. Her voice on tracks like “Jenny” leaves listeners waiting for her to burst out with a verse, but she never gets the chance.
Stellastarr* is either the next big thing or a few years late of the music scene they are trying to recreate.
Stellastarr* blends the best of new wave acts from the past and today’s more modern rockers.
The band is not really reinventing the wheel, just making some nice adjustments.
B-