Starbenders
Take Back The Night – Sumerian Records
One of the hardest things for a band to do today is create an album that grabs the listener’s attention in such a way that they are hooked instantly from the first track. Especially so when the listener spends a lot of time with their headphones in and music blasting. It’s not unusual to listen to an album more than once, and there are albums that can grow on the listener after repeated plays, but that’s not the case with the latest album by Starbenders. From the very first song this album has you hooked, with each song reeling you in further. Before the last song has even finished it’s queued up on repeat. It’s hard to describe just why this album is so good, except to say it has something for everyone. It’s an album that combines the best of four decades of music. It’s 70’s glam rock, with 80’s goth, 90’s grunge, 00’s punk, and a pinch of Stevie Nicks thrown in for good measure. It’s also an album that manages to be packed with no skippable songs. Thirteen tracks of near perfect music. That’s not to say there aren’t some highlights, but there’s certainly no single track that stands out more than any other. The opening three tracks are brilliant rock music. Blood Moon and If You Need It give the album a punk edge. Cherry Wine and Say You Will are sweet ballads. Marianne wouldn’t be amiss on any classic goth album. There’s even a cover of Alice Cooper’s Poison that manages to do the song justice, something that other bands have failed to succeed at. For a band that already looks like they’re rock stars, now they have an album that proves that they are. Expect to see this album on everyone’s Album Of The Year lists.
Review by Mark Bestford