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Broken Down And
Wandering
FAR STAR
reviewed by
snarlingvarminttortured
“you're welcome to the
show
broken down
and underwhelmed
we all know this
kind of hell” - Far Star
These words echoed in my
head like a runaway loop
station as I laboriously
worked in my backyard,
trying to repair a
dilapidated picket
fence. Translation: damn
good chorus and damn
great song. Their vibe
is often melodramatic
yet pop-ish, sprinkled
with tasteful overdrive
strokes. The lead singer
has a Stephen Malkmus
timbre to his voice, yet
bellows like Will
Johnson. Lyrically,
these guys carry on the
great tradition of
musical bards coming out
of Texas a la
Flickerstick and Centro-Matic.
There are religious
themes in some of their
songs like these lines
from the track “Burning
Bushes Grow Cold”:
“So hold me tonight
my faith God is shot
we asked for a sign
and then we forgot
so come Lord open these
eyes”
Yet these guys sing
about their deity in a
subtle context which I
admire. Radical
religious rock is a
definite turn off for
me, but Far Star doesn’t
try to shove this
“spiritual” kinship down
your throat. If I’m ever
in Dallas (which I am
occasionally) I would
definitely pay the skins
needed to watch these
guys live.
Genre: Emo/Pop
Rock
Released: 2002 |
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2003 Crucible Records
produced by Matt Pence
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FarStar:
Broken Down and Wandering
Reviewed by Joel Thomas on
www.vagrantcafe.comThe hardest records to review are the straight-up rock ones. It's so much easier when the influences are easy to hear, the style just another take on a genre established years ago. Far Star writes and plays rock songs, pure and simple. Their blend of inflective vocals, varying guitar flavors, solid bass work, and always spot-on drumming isn't afraid to be itself, which turns out to be wonderful.
On Broken Down and Wandering, their first album as the name Far Star (they released one album as Dim Reflection), they piece together a cohesive record on which no two songs sound alike, yet none sounds outside their sonic identity. They write accessible, sometimes catchy songs you'll find yourself enjoying in your head hours later, yet the guitars are usually distorted, vocals and mood too passionate to be mistaken for jangle-pop or flavor-of-the-month MTV "modern rock." Perhaps what sets them apart from most rock bands is that Far Star's Barrett writes actual songs - probing lyrics that dig into motivations, frustrations, failure, redemption, forgiveness, hope, and the search for truth - and is able to express the questions, answers, and journey between the two in his sensitive, mood-reflective vocals, the rest of the band following suit in sound.
Put to the side your records that show how cutting-edge and cool (or uncool as the scene may dictate) you are. Pick up and play Far Star's Broken Down and Wandering to hear original music, amazing lyrics, and incredible songs on an album you'll find to be a friend wherever the rest of your moods and tastes may lie. |
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from
http://www.laminated.org/reviews/
by:
Dustin Pryor
It's
not until you hear a
band like Far Star that
you really know what
good music is. This band
truley defines great
music with their debut
album, "Broken Down and
Wandering." This is the
album I've been waiting
to hear for so long, but
I just didn't know it
until now. Pure, true,
straight forward rock
with a little pop touch
to it.
Far
Star's lead vocalist,
Shannon Barrett brings
soft, melodic vocals
that sound a little like
Shaun Lopez's (The
Revolution Smile), but
not exactly. They're
very unique and
beautiful. Melodic at
most moments, but very
aggressive at others.
The
music is amazing. Drum
beats that are soft and
soothing with melodic,
clean guitars that
aren't afraid to show
their aggressive side
either. Everything you
could hope for in good
rock music. Simple, yet
great guitars, bass, and
drums.
The
lyrics are magnificent
and are true. Not like
most lyrics these days
that are so fake and
horrible.
Far
Star definitely bring
the rock, with their own
unique sound. A definite
must-have for any rock
fan. This one will
remind you that good
music is still out
there. |
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The
Farstar record is a
spoonful of indie
goodness, a breath of
fresh air in the 'hard
rock' lands of Deep
Ellum.
Drue Mitchell on-air
afternoon drive @
89.7Power FM |
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Better late than never:
Genre-defying FarStar
making its mark
Denton Record Chronicle
by staff writer Jennifer Robinson
8-14-03
http://www.dentonrc.com/entertainment/stories/DRC-Better.7d8711f.htmlFarStar doesn’t have an
agenda. The band members
don’t have a formula, a
standard riff or even a
regular routine of
pushing their debut
record, Broken Down and
Wandering, released in
February but just now
picking up steam.
They’ve been called
intelligent rock,
Christian rock and just
plain good music.
They’ll settle for the
third one, if you don’t
mind.
The members don’t want
to limit their
possibilities
with categorizing their
sound under genres that
force people to have a
preconception of what
they do.
The band doesn’t
necessarily shy away
from being labeled under
a certain religion, but
you’ll never hear
"Christian rock" come
from the mouth of lead
singer Shannon Barrett.
"We are who we are," he
said. "I think there is
a lot of baggage that
comes with [labeling
yourself Christian] when
it concerns rock ’n’
roll. We don’t want to
limit where our music
can go. We are just a
group of guys making
music. We don’t have an
agenda, that’s the
simplest way to put it."
He does believe that
whatever influences you
will translate into your
art.
"Whatever it is you’re a
part of, whether it’s a
community or a belief,
it’s going to come out
in things you create or
the words you speak," he
said. "I end up writing
most of the lyrics, and
I have to say, the
beliefs I hold on to
definitely come out."
Broken Down and
Wandering was recorded
at Echo Lab in Argyle
with Centro-matic
drummer/producer Matt
Pence.
Mr. Barrett said the
band was excited that
Mr. Pence took an
interest in working with
them.
"He was able to see the
strength behind the
music and help us refine
that," he said. "Not to
mention that he gets a
great drum sound — he
has a great ear. We knew
he was going to help us
push this over the top."
The band has been
talking to major labels,
with Warner
Bros./Reprise Records
taking an early interest
in the band.
Mr. Barrett says the
band is constantly
writing new material but
hesitates to go back
into the studio just
yet. "We feel like there
is a lot more this
record can do," he said.
"There are still people
who haven’t heard it. So
we’re like, ‘Let’s just
keep on and take this a
little bit further.’"
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Paul,
Thanks for the e-mail
and I will certainly
include you in the
promotion of tomorrow
night's show when Blue
October is with us in
the morning and whenever
we mention the line up.
I just listened to your
stuff on mp3.com and you
guys sound really good.
"Open Apology" I think
is my favorite of the 3
tracks I got to hear.
I'll have to see if your
CD ever made it to my
desk or not. I don't
recall seeing it and
unfortunatly won't be
there to see you guys
play live tomorrow
night. It's really hard
to see any shows on a
week night. I'm up at
3am so I go to bed
pretty early.
(I know... I'm such an
old man!)
Have a great time
tomorrow, it should be a
pretty awesome night.
Jagger from KDGE 102.1
The Edge |
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gi
(from SouthFM):
'Hey Paul, I think I may have met you once before, maybe not...either
way, I play guitar with
SouthFM, I know you know Doug McGrath. I just
wanted to say I checked out the MP3's on your mp3.com site and was very
impressed, looking forward to seeing you guys on Saturday, and even more
excited to hear the full length disc. Hope all is well, Saturday should
be a great show, start to finish. Later.
- gi
(SouthFM)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GI Sanders
Sales-Marketing
10488 Brockwood Rd.
Dallas, TX 75238
214-540-1501
214-744-0293 Fax
gisanders@bandwear.com
www.bandwear.com
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from
lynn@kegl.com:
I listened to your cd again
today. I love it. It's
perfect for the Edge. Hope
you're working Josh to get
it on the Adventure Club.
Also, I'll be spinning it on
Texas Shock Syndrome soon,
maybe this weekend.
Peace,
Lynn Hernandez
Disc Jockey at The Eagle,
97.1 fm Dallas |
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dim reflection:
'Yeah! Here's some cool music with a post-punk sound that flies by the seat of their pants at times (like "Able-Bodied"), and settles into a groove at others (like "What You're Still Here?"). Nice vocals, nice songs. Good modern rock. Imagine Jars of Clay playing Nirvana tunes or imagine Bush without the nasally vocals. Me thinks these guys will get noticed far outside their home of Dallas, Texas.'
~HM, March-April 2000, Doug Van Pelt
You can order this album on-line:
Go to Crucible products.
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1999 Crucible
produced by
Dim Reflection
running time: 47 min
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