Alternative Tentacles releases the weirdest shit. I’ve been able to get quite a few albums from them, and they never fail to amaze me. This time, The Flaming Stars come through with a Peter Gabriel meets Daniel Ash brand of brit-pop that has more than a passing gaze to the halcyon days of the 1980s. The first track, “She’s Goneâ€, uses a strong guitar presence and bass-laden drums to work well with Max’s vocals. The same style dominates “Where The Beautiful People Goâ€, but the latter is more impressive simply because of the way in which the bass (played by Paul Dempsey) is threaded through what was already a very cogent and solid band. “Where The Beautiful People Go†incorporates a Bauhaus meets psychedelic rock feel that makes The Flaming Stars perfect to open for historical giants like 45 Grave. The ability of The Flaming Stars to maintain such a low-key profile in their heavy use of slower-tempos shows a tremendous amount of orthodoxy. By showing a more artistic side in tracks like “The Marabou Shuffleâ€, the band emphasizes quality and finesse over quantity and intensity. I don’t feel as if the tracks are without pep; just the primeval energy imbued on many a punk track by the organization of the band does not exist in a recognizable form on “Named and Shamedâ€.
Coming into the forefront during “Another Dial†is one bothersome issue with the mixing of the disc – ewhile it was present to a lesser degree throughout the rest of the disc, this track shows Max’s vocals to lie on and smother the instrumentation on the track. In “Another Dialâ€, the band splits off and allowsthe guitar to reach to the sky with a finger-searing solo, although one can barely hear it with Max’s crooning on the track. Using a tremendously simple (almost punk-like in its style) guitar progression for “Stranger on the Fifth Floorâ€, the more upbeat tempo (dare I saw bouncy) allows the track to achieve a form of groove that will delight all in its decidedly bare presentation. “If You Give Them A Chance†incorporates the last important facet of The Flaming Stars; their surf-rock influences, which may only have a few seconds of airtime in a number of tracks indelibly modify their sound regardless of their explicit presence. The disc effectively comes to an end with the instrumental “Bess of the Boneyardâ€, a track that stops any progress the band may have had and essentially should not have any position on the disc besides the ultimate.
Top Tracks: Strange on the Fifth Floor, The 39 Stops
Rating: 5.8/10
The Flaming Stars – Named and Shamed / 2004 Alternative Tentacles Records / 13 Tracks / http://www.oslater.demon.co.uk / http://www.alternativetentacles.com / Reviewed 12 February 2005