Starflyer 59

Item: Fell in Love at 22
Author: Alex Klages

Fell in Love at 22

(1999)

Reviewed by Alex Klages

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Label Tooth & Nail RecordsThe LighthouseUnsorted 1999

alternative rock dream pop indie rock shoegaze

Fell In Love At 22 EP, the latest Starflyer 59 venture finds Jason Martin and crew wandering down familiar terrain - a mellow, laid-back groove that started somewhere between Silver and Gold that continues to appear more and more.

The title track of this EP is essentially the same as the album version, as best as I can figure, and isn't really a "value-added" track in that sense, if you already have The Fashion Focus. But the key to this project seems to be that the other songs on the disc all build from this theme. There is a laid-back musical atmosphere to the tune "We Want It Bad," which only adds to the obscure lyrical direction:

I can't relax while laying down, It's all right they'll come right back, You can't compress with the always used. Please give me something new We want it bad

Oddly enough, not only does this work, but it is also part of Starflyer's success. By all rights, this band's music should not be compelling: its lyrics are at best oblique, and its tunes simplistic. Nevertheless from this combination, there seems to be a strength.

Considering that the once-trademark wall-of-sound only makes a brief appearance in "E.P. Nights" (the first song since "2nd Space Song" to mention Jesus by name) and the rest of the songs stand on their own merits rather than on the noise factor, says something about Martin's growth as a songwriter. Of course, having Gene Eugene around never hurts either - his auxiliary organ presence adds a definite vibe to the group.

The track that will make or break this EP in most people's minds is probably "Traffic Jam." At a little over 14 minutes in length, it is one of those songs you will either love or hate. This jam is not like Havalina Rail Company's "Traffic In Moscow," which was a delightful bit of cacophony. Instead, this is a long, sprawling, easy affair. Imagine surf music slowed down, with an odd sample (train, helicopter, police car) thrown in, and you pretty much have the idea. For me, it worked. Whether it will work for you is really a matter of whether or not you think that this sort of song is a justifiable experiment.

"Samson" is another slow, quiet, sweet song to finish off the set. While there is nothing remarkably new about either the chord structure or the style of this song, still it is a fitting end to the disc.

Maybe Fell In Love At 22 EP is not Starflyer 59's best album. However, like the rest of their EP's and singles, it has an experimental edge, which makes it pretty cool in its own right.