 stellstarr*
"Somewhere Across Forever" CDEP
Tiswas
Records
Genres: nerd rock, indie rock
band
website
Mar 3 - 9 2003 |
Nerd
rock, geek rock, whatever. You know what it is. It's the
type of stuff that calls up the mental image of a bunch sort-of
lame-looking guys donned with big, thick-rimmed glasses playing guitar
and singing. Chances are, if you're an indie rock fan with a
secret obsession with Weezer, stellastarr* (they like it
in lower caps, thank you) will appeal to you just fine.
Now, I must state, it's hard to judge a band by a three-song
promotional EP, but these three tracks certainly present a nice slice
of where stellastarr*'s influences lie.
We start off with "Somewhere Across Forever," which,
despite its lame title, is a particularly tight track. Though
it's lacking in originality, the band make it work by way of simple,
hummable melodies and a certain geekiness that would put Rivers
Cuomo to shame.
"No Weather" then comes on in a gust of jerky guitars,
male vocals, and a nice, female-sung chorus. It has a strong
eighties vibe to it, with elements of Cheap Trick and The
Cars definitely present. Though it certainly isn't synth-pop, there is a strong
vibe of that genre present in the track.
The final track is "School Ya," a very emo-informed tune
that combines a strong emotional tone with the band's standard
geekiness to create a motherfuckin' angst stew. But, the vocals
avoid being too whiny, and stellastarr* manage to pull it off
with minimal lameness. When they bring everything together for a
slightly Walkmen-inspired bit in the last two minutes, the
song's got a very nice vibe going on, standing somewhere between art
rock and straight-up indie pop.
Filled with energy, a nice pop ethic, and a flare for noise pop, stellastarr*
have created a really nice EP here. Though it's questionable whether
their nerd rock sound was intentional - and some too-hip-for-you
listeners may be averted by the initial concept of lending an ear to
anything remotely uncool - most indie rockers will likely still be
able to enjoy Somewhere Across Forever without shame.
82%
Fun Fact: stellastarr* have opened for
such well-known acts as The Apples In Stereo, The Frogs, Mooney
Suzuki, and even Joe Strummer!
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
3 songs, distributed by the
label, released 2002] |
