SF59 fans disappointed with the epic stadium-rocking stance of Old and are still waiting for the fragile shoegazing Americana of Leave Here a Stranger will not be pleased with this ten-track quickie release. However, I would encourage you to scratch beneath the hard rock veneer of I Am the Portuguese Blues for you will discover that Jason Martin and company have taken the current modern rock obsession with '70s hard rock and utilized it as a template for intriguing post-millennial indie rock gems like the strident "The Big Idea," the rolling "Wake Up Early," and the boogie fest that is "Sound On Sound." Not as intricate as Old was perhaps but as visceral as they come. And that's a good thing. Rock on!
5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis May 2004Reviewed by Mike LeechThere comes a time in the life of anyone who's ever heard Starflyer 59 where they realize the truth... This band is way better than everything! Better than stuffed-crust sausage pizza. Better than winning the lottery. Better than your wedding day or the birth of your first child. Way better!! I wish I could say that I came to this realization at a fairly young age--that I have grown up listening…Decapolis May 2004Reviewed by Tyler BaberSo ten years ago, when the world was young and fresh and most of this website's readers were still watching good non-anime cartoons after school, Jason Martin and co. were gearing up to release their first album, a self titled minimally packaged cd which was basically several tracks of the wall-of-noise guitar sound with 7 words per song, give or take. Much has changed over the past 10 years.…Opus 2004Reviewed by Jason MoreheadThe monochromatic covers are back! When Starflyer 59 first arrived on the scene in the mid-90s, as part of the much-needed Tooth & Nail "revolution" that took Christian music by storm, the only thing as astounding as their music (I still remember the first time "A Housewife Love Song" cleaned out my ears) was the band's album covers -- solid sheets of metallic color that immediately jumped out…The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Trae CadenheadOne look at the cover of the latest album from longtime indie favorite Starflyer 59 makes it pretty obvious that this album is a return to its roots. With a solid off-blue color and no text, the longtime Starflyer fan is immediately reminded of the days of silver, gold, and red. Of course, those days could never be returned to in full, but Jason Martin and company make a pretty good go at it…Similar sounding releases
2003Black Rebel Motorcycle ClubTake Them On, On Your Own
2001Rock 'n' Roll Worship CircusBig Star Logistics
2002Aeroflop8-Track Demo
2004They Sang As They SlewGet Well
1994OasisDefinitely Maybe
1997Common ChildrenDelicate Fade
