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Star &
Dagger
Tomorrowland Blues
Vocals: Von Hesseling
Bass:
Sean Yseult
Guitar:
Dava She
Wolf
Drums:
Dustin Crops
This next
band comes from a night
of drinking with the legendary Lenny Kaye and has been described as a perfect
blend of Black Sabbath and Valley of the Dolls. Made up of Sean Yseult (White
Zombie), Dava She Wolf (Cycle
Sluts From Hell), and the sublime vocalist Von Hesseling the band has already
sold out shows and have been out on tour. They have nearly sold out a 12” vinyl
and are ready to embark on a new adventure, a full length album. The 10 track
album spreads 32 minutes and gets going with “In My Blood.” The track begins
with a nice little intro before the vocals come in and begin their assault.
They aren’t terrible, but they seem to be recorded just a bit off. She does hit
some super high notes which sound really good. They add in some backing vocals
that I’m not sure were necessary, but the backing vocals sound okay. The music
seems a bit lacking. The guitars don’t get into it very much and I think it’s a
product of the recording process. They are just set way back in and the drums
really don’t excite you. “End of Days” is a faster tune that gets the guitars
going some. The drums really stay way in the back once again. The end of the
chorus repeats a lot, but the rest of the lyrics seem cool. They break into
this odd section that I wasn’t that crazy about and it kind of lasted the rest
of the track. I wasn’t too impressed by the track as a whole, but the beginning
of the track wasn’t bad. “Tomorrowland Blues” offers up a very strange intro
which finally gets straightened out to complete a strong track. I liked the
tempo of the track, the vocals, and I liked the music as well. It’s not the
superstar track, but its something that will catch on with some people. “Freak
Train” is a nice little number with vocals flying around and a great vibe. It
may be the most complete tune on the album thus far. I can see many people
getting into this tune and really running with it. I really like the guitars in
this tune and the drums get involved more this time too. It’s an entire tune. “Selling
My Things” is a slow moving tune with whiney vocals (both lead and backing)
while the music is not interesting at all. The track just puts you in a depressing
mood and it really doesn’t sound very good except for a couple of high notes
that are hit vocally. “Sidewinding” opens up with a cool mix of bass and drums
before the vocals roll in with a much better sound than the last one. The
backing vocals come in next with this super high pitch and it will make your
ears hurt. “Before It’s a Crime” is another slow track that just doesn’t excite
you. The vocals are descent and the music is okay, but the bluesy feel that it
brings just isn’t enough to keep you coming back. “Your Money” isn’t a bad
track. The vocals are somewhat normal and the music has a great groove to it. This
might be the best tune on the album. I can see many people getting into this
track and playing over and over again. Like I said, the vocals are normal, but
even more than that, they are great! The music is awesome too. The guitars get
into the mix with some great riffs and the drums get going as well. “Used To Me”
slows the album down once again, but this one isn’t as bad as the others. The
music is a bit more intriguing than the others. I would think that it is a
second tier track. The album wraps up with “Your Mama Was a Grifter” which is a
fun little number. This is the type of track I would like to have heard more
of. The lyrics are mostly fun and they are sung in the solid way. The music is
also fun and flirty. It was a nice way to end the album. Overall the album was
okay. I didn’t know what to expect going in and there were a few surprises on
the album. The vocals are descent throughout the album besides a couple of
tunes, but the backing vocals really don’t cut it for me. The music seems to be
held back some. There are a few tracks where they get to have some fun, but
most of the time they seem like they are in trouble and only allowed to do so
much. I think this is more of a novelty album that some people will enjoy, but
most will only pick up a track or two.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Tracks to Watch:
Freak Train, Your Money
Track List:
- In
My Blood
- End
of Days
- Tomorrowland
Blues
- Freak
Train
- Selling
My Things
- Sidewinding
- Before
It’s a Crime
- Your
Money
- Used
To Me
- Your
Mama Was a Grifter
Website (s): www.facebook.com/staranddagger
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