Rich, musty mixtures of Old World sounds like klezmer horns, accordions and glockenspiels create a heady aura of nostalgia as well as a lot of catchy hooks.
Mostly acoustic, with unabashed winks to Cheap Trick and Sinead O’Conner, played with soul-touching integrity, but there’s no great impact on the listener.
Not the usual head-cuttin’ stompin’ blues curiosity the label specializes in. James “Super Chikan” Johnson’s soulful elaborations on old themes will win fans.
A mix of Seal, Peter Gabriel, and NIN (the slow stuff). Of course, anyone who wants to copy NIN sounds like Gravity Kills, Stabbing Westward, or Prick.
A nice variation of styles, but most of the album’s moments still don’t rise above your standard “technical pop punk with Dokken-sounding guitars” bunch.
Starflyer 59 punctures the listener’s emotional defense shield with yearning vocals, slithering melodies, and face-in-hands tragedy that’s all too beautiful.
A mixture of Chicago indie-rock with the best of Shades Apart and other original pop-punk bands. They bend tempos, use odd melodies, and spit out juicy riffs.