STARBENDERS - TAKE BACK THE NIGHT
Is it glam rock? Is it goth? Is it punk? No, it’s all of the above or at least it's trying to be. The question is, does it succeed? The ‘it’ in question is Atlanta band Starbenders' third record Take Back The Night. Be warned before listening to this album, it is not for the faint at heart as it takes a deep dive into some pretty dark days for the band, but then hey, that's rock ‘n’ roll.
It can be said that this group of extraordinary musicians have definitely been to the school of rock. They seem to have been well educated on the greats that came before them, borrowing and stealing like true artists, all the best pieces of those whose footsteps they follow.
So let’s start with the more gothic-sounding tracks! ‘Sex’ which opens dramatically before tumbling into new territories, ‘Blood Moon’ a classic in the making, ‘If You Need It’ and the records highlight, ‘We’re Not OK’. In the latter track, Kimi Shelter describes their struggle with mental illness with the perfect musical backdrop. Not a particularly new concept but an important song nonetheless - pulled off with great skill.
Next up are ‘Seven White Horses’ and ‘Cherry Wine’, both of which touch on the glam-rock side of the rock genre; the former has that wonderful mashup of guitar brilliance and synth-like tones.
The main question is will you like the record? The answer to that depends heavily on whether you like lengthy guitar solos or not as there are many! The whole album is sweetly reminiscent of something else, so many different things to place a finger on it elses to be honest, but in a good way.
The band have not made many changes since their second album, Love Potions which was arguably the better album out of the three now released. It didn’t get the traction it maybe should have but that hasn’t let the band stop themselves from persevering.
What is the result? An album that charts their mental health struggles and their journey from the dark to the light. It’s one listeners can get lost in, maybe a little too much; if one thing is for sure, it’s a bit like marmite. You’ll either love it or hate it, there's no in between.
Although there is room for improvement, the thirteen tracks leave the album just the right length so that listeners will get bored. This is some good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll but it may not have a place in today's music landscape where listeners are pushed towards bands that fit into genre boxes. On the positive side, this could mean it has a wider scope with fans from many different styles finding something they can enjoy from the album.
Cat Wiltshire
★★★☆☆