I didn’t think all that much about Straylight Run when they supported Brand New earlier this year. I know the band was in its infancy, but there seemed to be a disjointed nature to a band that had appeared to be on the verge of greatness following a stack of rather lovely demos. In the live arena John Nolan‘s vocals were a little ropey, while sister Michelle looked like a rabbit in headlights. I had high expectations and was left disappointed.
Fast forward 6 months. I need not have been fearful.
‘Straylight Run’ is an absolutely gorgeous record. Whereas live the band appeared to be a group of individuals that didn’t really know where they were headed, this is a record so warm, so full of heart – so full of great songs – that the transformation is huge. If John Nolan proved to be successful as part of Taking Back Sunday, he need not have worried about ditching Adam and co for a brand new project. The two bands could not be any more different if they tried. Straylight Run leave the power at home, settling for a piano-based sound which is made by the warm vocals. And it’s not just John that sets the tone – Michelle’s first foray into the world of the frontwoman on the dancey ‘Tool Sheds and Hot Tubs’ is one of the songs of the year.
So what makes this record so good? It’s difficult to describe. ‘Straylight Run’ is like sitting round an open fire, marshmallows in one hand and the person you love in the other. It’s emotional but never ‘emo’; it’s tender yet often twisted; it’s fraught yet always fun. I could say it’s the perfect break-up album, but that would probably lead you to think it’s twisted and clichéd and rotten. It’s not. While ‘The Perfect Ending’ is a slow start to the record, the following salvo of ‘The Tension and the Terror’ and ‘Another Word For Desperate’ are majestic. The new versions of the old demos are so much better, certainly better produced but they feel more rounded with the vocals of a far better quality. ‘Mistakes We Knew We Were Making’ and ‘Existentialism on Prom Night’ are simply sublime, the latter especially so. The piano is particularly haunting, a feature the band seem to have perfected.
There have been some pretty good records of late, but Straylight Run has surprised me. I hoped this album would be good, but it’s far superior to what I expected. This is a record that will go on to sell a lot of records – it has radio friendly ‘hits’ in waiting without even trying. Try stop yourself singing along to ‘Existentialism on prom Night’ or prevent yourself from being moved by ‘Mistakes We Knew We Were Making’. I dare you.
www.straylightrun.com
Victory Records
Paul