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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT DEVASTATOR...
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Sun, Jan 20th, 2008 6:12 PM PST
Sun, Jan 20th, 2008 6:24 PM PST
Illinois Entertainer
As if broadcast from the bottom of a well protected by Phil Spector's wall of sound, Devastator - the 12-cut, 30-plus minute debut from STAR - might be the most irresistibly original sound out of Chicago since the rise of house and WaxTrax. The melodically dreamy, post-'80s, goth-edged noise generated by this minimalist trio hits apogee on "Liars In Love" as the band's subliminal catchiness bursts into full big pop song flower. But no song disappoints. Definite life transformation potential here.
Sun, Jan 20th, 2008 6:12 PM PST
Beatbots.com
Go natural, says I, and STAR's Chicagoan trio of Theodore Beck, Scott Cortez, and Shannon Roberts do just that. Sure, there is a liberal smattering of effects pedals and synth effects at work in Devastator, what with Beck's canned beats and lint-encrusted bass riffs, Cortez's fuzzed-out guitar licks, and Roberts' echoing lilt. Even so, it does not feel like a forced aesthetic meant to garner street cred with the lo-fi sect (guitar feedback = 20 Scene Points), nor is it a post-production audio filter thrown in by some retro-minded sound tech. Nope - it is all STAR, baby, and it sounds grand.
The delightful messiness of STAR's debut album is just what my inner head-bobbing show-shuffler needed to shake off the winter doldrums and get ready to rock out to spring.
Sun, Jan 20th, 2008 6:12 PM PST
Exoduster.com
It is very easy to like STAR - they put a smile on your face and remind you of fuzz noise 80s modern rock.
Sun, Jan 20th, 2008 6:11 PM PST
Minneapolis Fucking Rocks
Every song here is meant to be a people pleaser, as the songs get in, get out and do what they were meant to do. Only one song, "Jailor," is longer than three minutes. Even the more introspective, more soundscapey songs are barely above two minutes long. One interesting aspect about the band is the lyrical perspective. The words in the songs have more in common with Guyville-era Liz Phair (and, when Roberts is using her lower range, she even sounds a bit like Phair) than they do with most shoegaze fare. The aforementioned "Jailor" actually begins with "This is what you get for being such a prick" and another lyric is "Your parents should of had a girl." Wow. But the hostility in the lyrics and the laidback vibe of the music make for a great contrast, and the result is that Devastator is much more interesting once you grasp what the lyrics are (which you may not do on the first listen, due to the fact that Roberts' vocals are so reverb-heavy, as well as that the songs are so brief). All in all, Devastator is a solid listen and a good start for STAR.
Sun, Jan 20th, 2008 6:11 PM PST
Invisiblelimb.net
The record's twelve pop songs are so rich with atmosphere and mood that images of Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson laying in a hotel bed staring sadly at the ceiling might invade your imagination. This emphasis on texture & mood also turns one of the band's potential weaknesses into a strength- singer Shannon Roberts' reverb-drenched, indecipherable vocals fit right in here, avoiding the trap of becoming distracting. Behind Roberts' light bursts of air, her band mates Theodore Beck (bass/beats) and Scott Cortez (guitar) let their instruments echo and fuzz until they have formed a giant, slow moving wall of sound. This simple formula is the band's successful foundation and they stick to it faithfully throughout the album. If the album had been released in 2002 perhaps Mrs. Sophia Coppola might have been tempted to steal it for her own exercise in mood & isolation.
Sun, Jan 20th, 2008 6:10 PM PST
GreenClothesmusic.com
This Chicago group holds up the walls of noise just as well as their 80s contemporaries, and, personally, I prefer the bubblegum vocals of Shannon Roberts to the howl of Jim Reid... Their debut album, Devastator, was released earlier this year, and it totally kills.
Mon, Jun 4th, 2007 10:51 PM PDT
Denver Metropolitan April 20th, 2007
When the realm of science fiction is less fantastic and more believable than the majority of love-based narratives, society needs a champion like STAR to bring our heads out of the clouds. Devastator is the album to do that.
Mon, Jun 4th, 2007 10:50 PM PDT
TimeOut Chicago April 12th, 2007
The sludgy, fuzzed out pop songs and airy soprano vocals on the group's debut, Devastator will have you hypnotized for days. Lord knows it's worked on us.
Mon, Jun 4th, 2007 10:48 PM PDT
Lost Music March 30th, 2007
This is an excellent debut album, consistently captivating from start to finish, by a band proving to be a favourite emerging from the states right now for me.
Sun, Mar 18th, 2007 5:32 PM PDT
rr
Smother Magazine March 18th, 2007 Editor's Pick
Noisy indie pop meets modern alternative rock head on like two trains driven by drunken coked up New Wave fans. Sounding a whole lot like Sonic Youth plus My Bloody Valentine, STAR is fronted by a devious female rocker in Shannon Roberts who might not be Kim Gordon but she’s darn close. Dazzling sonic abrasive guitar fuzz with slightly sweet tunes dangle about and beyond one’s grasp. “Devastator” is an intriguing listen that will have folks clamoring for more.
Sun, Mar 18th, 2007 5:31 PM PDT
Built on a Weak Spot March 15th, 2007
"Devastator is such a consistently good album, there are no songs on it that fall flat or fail to deliver."
Sun, Mar 18th, 2007 12:20 PM PDT
yell
The Yellow Stereo March 6th, 2007
"Some of the most beautiful noise to grace your ears this entire year. It’s a promise fulfilled as I give this album a shining recommendation."
Sun, Mar 18th, 2007 12:20 PM PDT
Music For Kids Who Cant Read Good March 12th, 2007
"Liars in Love is fantastic in every sense, it’s both completely sublime and unapologetically catchy. It’s a track I wanted to replay right after it finished.... Each song on the album has something to offer, it’s amazing how consistently awesome it is considering it’s the band’s first full-length. I very highly recommend!"
Sun, Mar 18th, 2007 12:19 PM PDT
trip
The Tripwire Feb 20th, 2007
"Where STAR really hits their stride is during the melancholic moments such as on Switchblade Heart... Then comes Acting So Tough, a slightly more straightforward tune that allows Roberts' voice to soar way above the rest of the noise. It is one of those musical moments that sends chills down your spine...
It (Liars in Love) is one hell of a track, one of many on this truly great album. STAR is definitely a band to watch out for."
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