It sure was weird hearing the keyboard strings from the start of the very first track, and the occasional Beach Boy vocal added to it. If walls of guitars are the reason you like this band, Jason Martin & Co. have a little surprise for you. Starflyer has always had a way of taking something otherwise mellow, and crunching it together with rock & roll to concoct their own brand of music. And they've also had a way of doing each record just differently enough from the last to avoid listener complacency. Soft and relaxing could be the critic's summation if he/she looked no further than the muffled, plodding drums, acoustic guitars, and slow tempos. The Fashion Focus has "vibe" written all over it, suitable for a long highway in the old Dodge or an apartment on a rainy day, and lyrically, Martin's thoughtful musings contain some deep awareness. I can easily imagine him coming up with the words to "I Drive a Lot" while easing the day-job truck down the pike. I like this album, but with my love for heavy guitars, it's taken an open mind.
Other coverage for this album
Opus 2002Reviewed by Jason MoreheadIf one were to chart the musical territory that Starflyer 59 has crossed since releasing Silver in 1994, one would have a very interesting map. With Silver they dived headfirst into the (by then) waning shoegazer scene. Think thick walls of guitar and breathy vocals straight off of a My Bloody Valentine album mixed with the dream-rock of Catherine Wheel and Swervedriver. Gold saw Jason Martin and…Exit Zine 1999Reviewed by James M. BranumThis album is very different from their earlier work. While Starflyer's unique guitars are still there, the keyboards are now out front and dominant. The entire album, with the exception of the song "Too Much Fun," has a lighter feel to it. When I first tried to review this album, I didn't like it. Even though the style was nice for a song or two, I grew tired of it. Instead of an album of unique…7ball #21Reviewed by Dan MacIntoshWith The Fashion Focus, Jason Martin of Starflyer 59 has put his focus squarely upon sonic variety. While the preceding album, Americana, stuck primarily with various surf rock guitar influences, this new release builds upon the elements Starflyer experimented with previously, adding a healthy dose of synthesizer, more pronounced back-up vocals and a lot less guitar feedback clouding the mix.…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Corey WeltonStarflyer 59's most recent effort, The Fashion Focus, is the latest chapter in Starflyer's history of experimental Christian rock. My first experience with the band was the "silver" album, their debut self-titled CD. I quickly became quite fond of their characteristic dream-pop, distorted sound that was a delight to the subconscious. Perhaps I was just expecting more of the same, or perhaps I had…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Josh SpencerIn college I'd always pop in a Starflyer 59 album whenever I wanted to fall asleep. Despite the sludge-heavy guitars, I'd be out cold halfway through. Don't get me wrong--I loved the band--but the same sleepy melodies in every song simply lullabied me into dreamland. How ironic, then, that their mellowest album to date has been the only one to keep me awake all the way through. I figured…Similar sounding releases
1997RadioheadOK Computer
2003Bill MalloneePerfumed Letter
1998Bon VoyageBon Voyage
2006RadiantThe Sound of Splitting Atoms
2003Wayne EverettKingsQueens
2004PilateCaught by the WindowMore from Starflyer 59
2003Old
1994Silver
2001Leave Here a Stranger
2004I Am the Portuguese Blues
2005The Last Laurel
1997Americana
