Endeavouring to recapture the charm of a decade immersed in all things gloriously decadent and excessive, while exploring some of their most distressing moments in recent years; the Big Peach native glam quartet Starbenders, return once more with third album Take Back the Night.
Paving their own lane somewhere within the sonic realms of Lita Ford, Twisted Sister, Skid Row and Siouxsie And The Banshees, Take Back The Night revels in its ultra-layered approach to emotional liberation while pursuing a transcendent listening experience, via immersing themselves in the soundtrack to 80s cultural phenomena. Starbenders valiantly explore their personal toils with a flair for instrumental dramatics and deeply stirring vocals, especially with such tracks as ‘We’re Not OK’, ‘If You Need It’, and ‘Say You Will’.
‘We’re Not OK’ stands as a mesh of moody classic rock, with undertones of Stevie Nicks-esque blues intertwined with choral transcendence, which divulges the difficulties surrounding addiction and acute illness. ‘If You Need It’ provides some cinematic 80s electro-rock and synthwave tinged lulls while wrapped in industrial rock catharsis, exploring the torture of sitting on a powder keg in relation to the troubles of a loved one, while ‘Say You Will’ is reminiscent of a curious concoction of ‘Bloody Mary’ era Lady Gaga, Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’ and In This Moment’s ‘Bloody Creature Poster Girl’, with a satisfying blend of witchy industrialism, differing drastically from the sensibilities of all previous tracks. Though Take Back the Night is generally solid, this latest excursion from the Atlanta glam rockers, it’s impossible to ignore the less savoury elements that plague the album.
Starbenders‘ obsession with the guitar solo leaves quite the bothersome conundrum; featured on such tracks as ‘The Game’, ‘Sex’, ‘Body Talk’ and ‘The End is Near’, as well as a synth led solo on ‘Midnight’, although technically speaking the solos are impeccably performed, the attachment of the trope to the majority of the track listing almost reduces its placement to an overworked uninspired crutch. It borders on boredom on its repetitive imminent arrival. The palatability of its incessant use feels questionably bizarre, even with shredding being a commonplace practice in the genre.
As much as the throwback-admiring troupe have what it takes to stand up against their contemporaries, due to an undeniable pool of extraordinary talent at their disposal, it’s regrettable that their sound at times is a double-edged sword. It’s great to indulge listeners’ 1980s arena rock fantasy, but it doesn’t leave room for much elevation as a contemporary band. Their musical prowess, though impressive, can sadly present itself as exhibiting behaviours similar to that of showboating, which on a record may easily turn people off, but it’s sure to impress live, which might ease some worries. Take Back The Night is a solid instalment in Starbenders‘ decade long history, but with the over-indulgence in some elements and a total lack of modernity, it’ll be welcome to see the dawn of a new era with the promise of some much needed refinement.