Posted on: November 22, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

 

The band Stella Maris plays a brand of pop-indie rock that will recall The Fray just as much as it should tie the band to older acts in that style like Fuel and early Goo Goo Dolls. The style is not emo but rather attempts to create a sound in-between rock and indie that has links to both styles. “Faces on Screens” is the break out track of the first half of this EP.

This is largely due to the fact that Stella Maris throw in some strings that look back to the sixties to further the gravity present in this track. The vocals are front and center during the tracks on this EP, but they jump between being instrumental and being purely vocal. Stella Maris are masters at creating tracks that meld into each other. By the time that one realizes that the band is on another song, over two minutes have passed. The band does not reside on the edge of experimentation, but what they do well throughout this EP is create music that individuals would like to hear and in a way that is actually musically significant. “Walking on Stones” is a track that caresses listeners’ ears while being some of the most smartly arranged music that Stella Maris includes on this CD. The disc may be less than a half of an hour, but individuals know exactly what to expect from Stella Maris on their next full-length.

There is little that individuals could ask to change on this EP; the band comes through with thoughtful compositions that yet could be sung along with easily. The song that will undoubtedly get the most radio play in the months to come has to be the ultimate track “The People We’ve Become”. The track uses the same strings as other songs on the disc, but they feel perfect for this track instead of merely working in that context. The vocals on this track are still soft but carry a catchiness to them that will not disappear after 10 minutes or even an hour. The band is releasing this album by themselves, but I have no doubt that in only a few short months that they will be riding high after being signed by a near-major or a major label. Let’s hope that the band is still able to keep the styles in their music that made them so compelling in the first place.

Top Track: The People We’ve Become

Rating: 6.7/10

[JMcQ]

Stella Maris – S/T / Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.thisisstellamaris.com /

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