I bought this CD quite some time ago now, but for whatever reason haven’t had the chance to put down my thoughts on paper – or a screen, just for those pedantic types. I came across Stars Hide Fire rather randomly actually; they had a link off of Pure Volume and so I decided to stream the track on offer, ‘Still Breathing’. I was actually wowed by how good the song sounded, all crashing drums, spikey guitars and dual vocal harmonies. After a little more research I discovered the quintet were signed to the little known I Surrender label and had released an EP, which was promptly purchased from Interpunk (thank the Lord for a fantastic exchange rate). The resulting package promptly arrived and ‘The Shortcut To Loss’ certainly doesn’t disappoint.
It’s a record that has been heard before, going down a melodic rock/emo route, but the melodies are refreshingly catchy and the production is raw enough to have a charm that will hook in those fed up with the sheen many of the newer bands are tossing off at will. The aforementioned ‘Still Breathing’ is a giant of a track which will find its way on to many summer mix CDs this year, while ‘Transmission’ keeps up the impressive work, throwing in some clever lyrical refrains and mixing it all into a pot of generous guitar work and driving basslines.
‘Fold’ and ‘Eye For An Eye’ keep the same traits; after all, the adage ‘if it ain’t broke…’ is said for a reason. The drumming is clever and inventive, the vocals strong and the melodies bigger than a fat man gorging on a family bucket at KFC. “This world is better with out you,†they sing during the latter track, and if you’re not singing along or tapping your feet in unison, then check your pulse. ‘Rise and Fall’ keeps the high standards right up there, driving even harder, yet loses none of the melodic goodness. Fast forward track 6 to ten minutes in and pop on your dancing shoes, with a fun dance remix which will have you bopping away in front of the mirror in no time.
‘The Shortcut To Loss’ is highly impressive work and does the exact job an EP should do – leaves you wanting more. I doubt I Surrender will be able to keep Stars Hide Fire for much longer because bigger and better things surely lie not to far away. For now, this EP will keep many people occupied with its contagious melodies and pop undertones. Fans of Brandtson and Noise Ratchet, along with the poppier Deep Elm bands, will really enjoy this.
www.starshidefire.com
I Surrender Records
Paul