Silence Is Easy, the first album to feature Phil Spector production in 20 years, is Starsailor’s growth spurt, shooting them past most of their contemporaries.
There’s something very gratifying about seeing Josh Freese and Warren Fitzgerald squander their immense talents on a silly band, just to have a bit of fun.
Massed acoustic guitars, soulful vocals (Stahl is one of the best in the scene), and melodies that evoke the beautiful, wide-open swirl of a desert sunset.
Chicago’s Tenki blends the basic clean guitar sound with horns, keyboards, violas, banjos, and even a koto to create a sound reminiscent of Built to Spill.
Look for a few twists in the tale this time, King Diamond, for his 11th solo album adding occasional female vocals (Livia Zita), more guitar soloing, and a DVD.