Starmen
Kiss the Sky

Starmen seems to be a diligent band with a second album already in 2020, considering that the first one was poor one might think that it would have been cleverer to combine these two into one. The cover looks really boring by the way. I should point out that a high release pace doesn’t necessarily mean that the band doesn’t do solid work on their album and such, but usually bands these days are pretty active if they release an album every two years or so, so two in a year is a lot. Though, 2020 is a different year where chances of tours and stuff are quite limited so that might simply free up time to record a new album instead. I do however, suggest taking time to write good songs before recording an album, perhaps something to think about for the next album in February.

It is easy to think of bands like Kiss, not only for the makeup but the songs are simple rock songs that feels like copies made out of old copies, out of old copies, out of copies, from some original somewhere in time. It is that kind of watered down like a document that has been copied too many times. I do not think that this album shows any kind of originality whatsoever. Nothing. Not even the fact that the call the members the band’s name and a colour, I know of at least one band that does it and did so before these guys, I have reviewed them this year as well. They make simple and straightforward songs that are easy to take to, and the production is adequate, nothing special in regard to the recording. If you want fresh thinking or novelty you have to look elsewhere as that doesn’t exist in the arsenal of Starmen, I use what I have in my arsenal to take some easy shots at them. So, where do we find the star qualities a band that calls itself something starry should have.

Why the colourful member names when the album isn’t colourful at all? I think they should change their names to Starmen Grey, Beige, Brown, and Drab, that would have been much more fitting. I am not sure that they have ever written a good song, I know that I didn’t find any. All Along the Watchtower is pretty strong but that was written by Bob Dylan and has been covered millions of times already, I like it when it plays a big part in the Battlestar Galactica Series from the early 2000s – that is a great use of a song and it fits really well. Starmen makes a decent cover that is by far their best song over the two albums they have produced so far. Problem for them is you have to be either original or great, and these guys are neither – they seem to focus on quantity, it might work.

In the end I think you should refrain from this one, it is one of those pointless releases that adds nothing to an already oversaturated market. That is what I wrote last time I wrote about these guys and that fits just as well this time, it is really a pointless release, on the other hand they cannot really combine the two albums they did this year into a good one either so what should they do? Perhaps go home and write music and come up with something interesting instead of just rehashing old ideas, most of which aren’t even good ideas. The best thing I can really say about this album is that it isn’t awful.

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