When I covered Das Phaedrus's second album, Dark Winning here, I mentioned that the Dunedin quartet were not purveyors of the type of music that you would expect from New Zealand. The lead vocal swapping allowed great variety.
However, whereas Dark Winning had a particular crunch, The Stars Are Real has a wonderful darker feel. That isn't to say that you should prepare yourself for a miseryfest, the complexity of the arrangements and that variety would never allow such.
There is the straight ahead such as the cross between IRS and Glasgow 80s Indie that is Photowall and the 60s mix of UK Psych Beat that is Close Me Up with its hypnotic riff. The band can also slow things down to great effect. but there is usually a twist.
Heartless Hinds is a Piano ballad that suddenly turns into something akin to 10CC. Wildflowers has an Acoustic, part Folk, part Country gentleness and Speech even has a Jazz tint that matches the song's chant. Then there is the aforementioned darker material.
The title track is moody and magnificent, s little like Brian Bordello with a band and a bigger budget. Red Gold Avenue is all West Coast moodiness. Casey Wrote has a real Country Twang, again restrained, but the chorus goes all Fleetwood Mac.
For all this atmosphere, the best song here is the slightly chaotic Right Weapon In The Wrong Hands. Riffs come from everywhere, very Indie, absolutely top drawer. The Stars Are Real is incredibly inventive in a way that you would not expect. Top Notch!
You can listen to and buy the album here. It is at Name Your Price, so what have you got to lose?
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