It took several listens for Civilized, the new album from Stellastarr*, to grow on me. At first the whole thing seemed emotionally thinner than their previous two albums for a couple of reasons. After anxiety problems tightened vocalist Shawn Christensen’s throat, he restricted his voice to a higher register. Also, the band wanted to make a faster record with more intensity, so there aren’t any of the slow or spacey moments that have worked for them in the past. Fortunately, even without the range in vocals and tempos it still sounds like Stellastarr*. The tracks Numbers and Warchild could fit right in with their debut album, while Sonja Cries sounds like a lighter moment from Harmonies for the Haunted. Graffiti Eyes and Prom Zombie are fun moments that help this record maintain energy while offering mixtape friendly pop. Civilized supplements the Stellastarr* back catalogue by not completely mirroring or deviating from it, resulting in an album that provides accessibility for new listeners without turning away current fans.
Stellastarr* MySpace
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