left: Civilized, the new stellastarr* album; right: stellastarr*, their kick-ass eponymous release.
There isn’t a single stellastarr* album review on the internet devoid of references to ancestral new wave bands or post-punk bands or post-new wave bands or whatever other silly genres we like to invent.
stellastarr* doesn't tread new ground, I get it—but to adequately review them do I really have to point out specific riffs in “Numbers” or “Tokyo Sky” that are influenced by the Cure? Robert Smith isn’t the first guitarist to use a chorus or delay pedal, and he holds no patents on the sounds they create. Then what’s the brouhaha? I’d bet a month’s salary that stellastarr* guitarist Michael Jaurin owns a copy of Disintegration, but he isn't a plagiarist.
Besides, stellastarr* is the band you blast on you car stereo when the weather is nice and the windows are down. Their songs are made to be sung over, even if harmonizing with your friends means one of you has to go falsetto. Unlike their oft-cited predecessors, connecting to stellastarr* doesn’t require the introspection you can only gain after your dog hangs itself or your girlfriend fucks the entire Australian national soccer team.
Maybe Civilized, their newest effort, owes as much to Whatever Wave as their first two albums—it not worth harping over either way. This isn’t Pitchfork and listening to music needn’t always involve a history lesson.
There are only three questions worth answering:
1) Is Civilized a fun listen?
2) Is there replay value?
3) Does its unrivaled awesomeness compel you to drink two-liters of Mountain Dew before throwing your little brother through the living room window so you can yell out (through bloodied shards of glass) into the night, “Civilized brings the Motherfuckin’ Ruckus!”?
In short, “yes,” “to an extent,” and “no.”
Civilized is a competent effort with high production values (especially considering they left RCA to pursue their own label) and solid guitar work that punctuate each song. It’s disappointing, though, in comparison to their debut. It has nothing as vocally textured as “Jenny” or “No Weather,” nothing as hypnotically relaxing as “Moongirl,” and nothing as explosively jubilant as “My Coco.”
Amanda Tannen at T in the Park
Amanda Tannen is the hottest bassist in the biz and an excellent backup vocalist. I wonder if she'd be okay with living in my Mom's basement.
It starts off with promise. The up-tempo “Robot” is Civilized’s shortest and simplest song—Amanda Tannen repeatedly intones “by design / you’re gonna hurt yourself” over a few sanitary melodies—but the simplicity serves stellastarr* well.
“Tokyo Sky” is a curious track. Shawn Christensen’s vocal approach is unsettling and rustic and, well, it makes you wonder whether all his singing prior to this has been a fraudulent Morrissey impression. “Graffiti Eyes" is Civilized's first single and thankfully reminiscent of the band's eponymous album. In it, Tannen and Christensen croon together flawlessly; the guitar oscillates between a measured verse and a meth-infused hyper chorus (thank you, Mr. Black); and the spirited breakdowns are as thunderous and pleasant as any boy could hope for.
There are misfires, too. “Freak Out” sounds like an aborted Eagles of Death Metal song; it’s grating enough to be skipped after one listen. “Prom Zombie” shoves so much sugary sweetness down your throat that you might as well be watching Brooke Banner deep-throat the Kool-Aid Man.
“Sonja Cries” is a typical tear-jerking finale (though certainly not The Standard By Which All Others Are Judged) with captivating vocals and affecting guitar melodies. It isn’t a spectacular song, but it’s pleasant enough to make you forget some earlier failings.
Go ahead and buy Civilized; stellastarr* is a worthy band and you were going to spend that money on candy anyway. It’s not their best endeavor, but it’s a step up from Harmonies of the Haunted and any progress should be encouraged with positive reinforcement.
