England has always had a penchant for invading North America. First it was the colonials, then during the Revolutionary War, then the War of 1812. The British stayed away for a little while, waiting patiently for their next chance to retake the New World.
Then the Beatles arrived, and a whole new British invasion erupted using not guns and cannons, but guitars and drums.
This proved effective, so every decade or so a new invasion of British rockers make the trip across the Atlantic to conquer us natives. Right now, we are being invaded once again with groups like Travis, Coldplay, David Gray and now Starsailor.
Named after a Tim Buckley album, this quartet hoped to make the same impact over here as they did in England six months ago when they released their debut album, Love is Here. Recently they were named Best New Artist by Q magazine (imagine Rolling Stone wearing a bowler hat). Still, with the English press having an insatiable appetite for hype, is Starsailor all it is made out to be?
For the most part, yes. This album is dark and complex with the depth of a seasoned rock group, not a bunch of 20-year-old kids. Led by guitarist/vocalist Matt Walsh, this group rivals anything by Coldplay or David Gray.
Still, it lacks the accessibility to really make as much of a dent in the American charts as it did in the British.
The bulk of these songs are built around the a Walsh’s acoustic guitar the piano/keyboards of Barry Westhead. On “Poor Misguided Fool,” the piano work playfully dances around the basic guitar roots that carry the song. This is also the case with “Love is Here” and “Alcoholic,” where the piano takes the place of most lead guitar parts for the accompaniment.
Still, the basis for almost all of these songs is the acoustic guitar of Walsh. This adds a much quieter, jazzier feel to the album, as well as adding an overall cohesiveness.
At the same time, this also tends to make the songs sound repetitive and indistinguishable. Such is the curse of the acoustic guitar.
The shining point of this band is the vocal work of Walsh. For a 20-year-old, this kid has pipes. His singing on such songs as “Talk Her Down” adds a new level of emotions to a track that is otherwise bare.
On the other end of the spectrum is “Fever,” where his voice adds humanity to the dense synths and piano of Westhead. Simply put, his voice makes the band what it is.
This is quintessential Britrock. This fits perfectly with the style of Coldplay and Travis, and fans of those groups should enjoy this immensely. Being Britrock, though, will probably not be a bonus with a U.S. market that has been less than hospitable to other “alternative” acts lately.
