As hyped as the Strokes were in the States, Starsailor landed its debut album in the U.K. last fall with gusts of critical acclaim in the air already. The band is hailed as the best of a new slew of generic rock bands competing to resurrect the genre. Um. Rock isn't dead. Nobody needs to save it. Not that a D.O.A. band specializing in run-of-the-mill mediocrity actually could.
The hype is not so much misguided as it is terribly exaggerated, as usual when instigated by the British media. Starsailor may have some talent and a fantastic team of publicists, but the band is little more than the latest in a swooping attack of the Britrock clones.
The album, "Love Is Here," was released in the U.S. two weeks ago after being delayed for promotion's sake. It's hard to tell what Americans will think. Let's just hope Starsailor's latest single doesn't get radio-overkilled like Coldplay's "Yellow" or the latest "Best New British Band!" might never go away.
A rock quartet from Britain's Northwest, Starsailor formed in 2000 and stole its name from a Tim Buckley LP. The band is fronted and largely steered by singer/songwriter/guitarist James Walsh, who just turned 21, sings with a counterfeit American accent and writes lyrics that don't surpass his age. (Not a bad thing - Blink 182 is still going strong.) Walsh is joined by James Stelfox on bass, Ben Byrne on drums and Barry Westhead on keyboard; the band has teamed up with producer Steve Osbourne (U2, Doves, New Order) in the studio.
The summation of their sound is a somewhat formulaic version of Britain's brand of melodic rock, in the same clogged artery as Muse, Travis, Coldplay, Doves and all those other bands clogging the same artery.
Here's the breakdown: Starsailor incorporates both the operatic swells of Muse and the mellower, less-frills vibe of Coldplay. Walsh sounds like Richard Ashcroft trying to be Jeff Buckley and isn't nearly as good as either. He's got a good range going for him; he can do the upper-octave vibrato thing really well, but that's pretty much all he does for 50 minutes. Consisting of many long, sustained wails that tremble with attempts at intense emotional vulnerability, Walsh's vocals try too hard to be taken seriously.
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As do his lyrics. Walsh has the earnestness and genuine good will of Travis' Fran Healy (of "and if we turn /we might learn/learn to turn" notoriety), but Walsh has problems pulling it off with his edgier, ever-throbbing voice. He sounds like it hurts, especially when trying to lift your spirits. Yeah, so he can hit every note dead on. Who cares? He's got no style.
Besides, he's too worried about "being alone while he suffers" and "needing to be loved." So maybe his lyrics are sincere. But please. We've heard them all before.
The brightest spot on this rather dull album is "Good Souls," one of several singles released before the album. A song full of vitality, it's the only moment when Walsh lets down his guard enough to actually enjoy himself. Refreshing lyrics like "if it wasn't for the good souls/life would not matter" are bolstered by the fast pace and driving bass loop.
The last song (last except for a bothersome 30-second "hidden" song), "Coming Down," nearly makes up for the rest of the album's flaws (which include, among other things, too many songs that sound alike). About the cruelty of competing with drugs for a lover's affection, this melancholy song gives Walsh a reason to create the broken-hearted vibe that seems so extraneous on trite songs like "Alcoholic" and "Fever."
This is the downfall of the album - the band seems determined to prove itself, and the music suffers in the process. There's nothing wrong with the music. Rhythmically, the band is tight. Each song has a catchy, melodic chorus. The sound stays full throughout - enough weight stays on the bottom to support Walsh's occasional howls.
The keyboard keeps the songs moving when the guitar and cymbal crashes get too heavy. The balance is great, the melodies are nice and the lyrics are half-decent.
But Starsailor puts too much emphasis on formulaic perfection. What does that say? Boring. No risks are taken. The band tries nothing new. It's the same stuff that makes up virtually every mediocre melodic rock band, and Starsailor is really good at mediocre melodic rock. Maybe they're even a little better than mediocre.
That doesn't mean the band offers much to drool over - Starsailor is merely the British counterpart to America's Matchbox Twenty. Perhaps the British media should hold its tongue before starting another feeding frenzy of superhype. Has no one heard of that mischievious shepherd boy who one day cried wolf for real?
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