There are a handful of bands that immediately cause me to stop whatever it is that I’m doing whenever they release a new CD.  Even if I don’t review it for Opus, the minute their new album lands in my grubby little hands, it immediately shoots to the head of the queue, pushing the dozens of other CDs littering my desk off to the side.  Starflyer 59 is one of those bands, and the moment the promo for Talking Voice Vs. Singing Voice slid out of its envelope, the process began all over again.

For a short time, Talking Voice Vs. Singing Voice was, for all intents and purposes, the only CD I owned.

I’ve been a fan of Jason Martin (and whomever he gets to record with him at the time) for a little over a decade (has it been that long?).  And in the course of listening to their 15 or so releases, one thing has become absolutely crystal clear: Martin’s uncanny ability to create an immediately unmistakable sound while at the same time rarely recording the same album twice.

In other words, nearly every Starflyer 59 album is unique in terms of their sound, from the droney shoegazer-isms of Silver to the lounge rock of Gold to the arena rock of Americana to the orchestral pop of Leave Here A Stranger.  Sure, there’s some overlap here and there, such as I Am The Portugese Blues recyling Americana‘s stadium rock sound, but that’s quite rare.  For all of the diversity on display in Starflyer 59’s discography, there is absolutely no mistaking a Jason Martin song for anyone else’s.

In many ways, Talking Voice Vs. Singing Voice is Starflyer 59’s most ambitious album to date (somewhat ironic for a man who has, time and again, expressed a boredom for his own music).  Once again, I’m surprised at all of the new sounds that appear on this album.  There’s the gorgeous manner in which the horns dovetail seamlessly with the vocoder on “Easy Street”; the spiraling guitars on “Good Sons” that recall Seventeen Seconds&endash;era Cure; the soaring string arrangement that breaks through the otherwise creeping “Night Life”; and the shuffling drum machines and reverb-drenched guitars on “Longest Line”.

I’m assuming that a lot of these interesting new elements are due to the presence of drummer/madman Frank Lenz as Martin’s current cohort.  Lenz’ own music is full of such wild swings and elements (if you haven’t already, check out The Hot Stuff‘s thoughtfully funky brand of pop), and it’s refreshing to hear how he shakes things up with this particular gig.

In addition to these fresh, exciting elements, the album also features some of the most honest, spiritual songs that Martin has written in, well, quite some time it seems.  “Easy Street” is permeated with the sort of sighing anxiety/boredom/desire for something better that he has become quite well known for.  Same goes for “A List Goes On”, which finds Martin ruminating on his life and failures (“A list goes on/We know you tried but you’re gettin’ on your knees/The same old wrongs/God knows I’ve tried”) before sighing “Is this my life?/Maybe so…”.  And the stirring string arrangement backing him certainly doesn’t hurt things.  The album concludes on a more hopeful/wistful note, however, as Martin states “Got one destination/For Jesus to call me home/For faces sad and wasted/Oh that we would be known…” (“Longest Line”).

It’s not that I ever stopped liking Starflyer 59, though I’ll admit that some of Starflyer’s recent albums left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.  But it’s almost impossible to ignore the breath of fresh air that seems to fill this album from one end to the other.  It’s always a wonderful feeling to get excited all over again about one of your favorite bands.  There’s almost a sense of rediscovery, of going back in time to when their music made that first massive impression on you.  It sounds corny, but listening to Talking Voice Vs. Singing Voice, I feel like I’m an 18 year-old high schooler again, listening to Silver for the first time, being left absolutely giddy by those sounds.

It’s all the more impressive that Starflyer can do this to me this far along into their career, and after releasing so many albums, singles, and EPs.  In some ways, it feels like they’re just getting started, and there are even better things yet to come.

The 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 from the stacks of CCM at the local Family Bookstore.

Silver, Gold, and Americana all featured these blank canvases for covers, with The Fashion Focus breaking the mold, almost as if it symbolized the band’s move towards a fuller, more expansive and (dare I say) orchestral sound.  However, it seems very fitting that I Am The Portugese Blues sport one of the older-styled covers, as in many ways, it’s a regression towards the band’s earlier sound.

The songs that comprise I Am The Portugese Blues were (apparently) recorded during the Americana sessions, shelved, dusted off, and reworked for this album.  They are dominated by the big stadium rock sound that the band dabbled with on Americana, and to a lesser extent, Gold.  If you’re a fan of that Starflyer era, you’ll love the beefy guitar sounds and swaggering solos that dominate this disc.  The band, consisting of Jason Martin on guitars and vocals, long-time associate Jeff Cloud on bass, and Frank Lenz on drums, has rarely sounded this blue collar, economical (clocking in at 27 minutes, the disc contains nary a wasted note), or sure of themselves (noone sounds as confident playing drop-D power chords as Martin).

Unfortunately, the songs often have a rather tossed off feel to them.  While the first 3 tracks are certainly carefree enough (if you could ever use terms like “carefree” to describe Starflyer’s music), they often seem rather disposable, not to mention completely interchangeable with eachother (Is this “Unlucky” or “Teens In Love”?  Does it even matter?).  “Not Funny” kicks off with the ragged guitar and drums you’d expect from, oh, the White Stripes, such that hearing Martin’s voice instead of Jack White’s sneer is a bit jarring. And the instrumental “Sound On Sound” comes off as nothing more than an extended jam the band just kicked out between sessions.  While it’s nice to see the band so completely in their element, albums like Leave Here A Stranger have proved that they’re capable of so much more.

That being said, there are moments that do perk up your ears and hold your interest, that leave you wishing they’d spent a bit more time and wrote more stuff like that.  “The Big Idea” was the first song I heard off of I Am The Portugese Blues, and is an absolute monster.  The guitars hit like sledgehammers, sending sparks flying with each blow, and Cloud’s bass and Lenz’ drums sound like they’re on the verge of rumbling.  Meanwhile, Martin affects his best Liam Gallagher impression.  “Worth Of Labor” kicks off with Martin whispering “Chik-A-Cha!” over ringing guitars, and his strong sense of melody manifests itself in the guitar line the snakes beneath the bar chords and Lenz’ pummelling drums.

“Destiny” is the album’s strongest moment, with Martin playing as if he’s trying to drive the song’s melody right into the ground.  However, a keening, Radiohead-esque guitar line emerges from the wreckage on the chorus, revealing itself to be one of the most jawdropping moments the band has yet recorded.  And while we’re on the Radiohead tip, “No Revolution” evokes shades of OK Computer—if Radiohead’s musical treatise on modern alienation had also been part Black Sabbath tribute.

Part of me doesn’t even know why I write about Starflyer 59.  Chances are if you’ve heard the band and like them, you don’t need my (or anyone else’s) two cents.  Starflyer fans tend to be rather cultish (just peruse the comments on Amazon).  However, I can’t help but feel like this is their most inessential album yet.

Bands should remember their past so they can build on it, or even completely betray it for reinvention’s sake, but never to simply rehash it—and that’s the sense I get from much of I Am The Portugese Blues, all bright spots aside.  Hopefully, the band is merely using this album as a chance to clear out any baggage from their catalog before continuing on with the growth that has characterized their past couple of albums.

If one were to chart the musical territory that Starflyer 59 has crossed since releasing Silver in 1994, one would have a very interesting map. With Silver they dived headfirst into the (by then) waning shoegazer scene.  Think thick walls of guitar and breathy vocals straight off of a My Bloody Valentine album mixed with the dream-rock of Catherine Wheel and Swervedriver.  Gold saw Jason Martin and Co. working with a more laid-back, loungier side while interspersed with surf and Jesus and Mary Chain-style rock.  Americana saw Jason Martin reveal his love for classic rock, with huge swaggering guitar solos and a stronger sense of melody.

Now it’s time for The Fashion Focus, an album that might leave many Starflyer fans scratching their head, although true fans will end up loving it.  In some ways, this album is an amalgamation of everything that Martin has done before.  It’s an approach that, at times, seems very disparate and uneven, but rather enjoyable.

Never before has Martin written such accessible songs.  Nearly every song is full of starry-eyed hooks and melodies.  Just check out the Boo Radley’s influence on “A Holiday Song” or the toe-tapping “Card Games And Old Friends.”  “All The Time” has Martin indulging in his love with surf music to the extreme, albeit in a restrained fashion.  Fans of Americana and it’s huge rock sound will love “The Birthrite” (with it’s huge bass and aggressive sound) and “Too Much Fun” (a 7 minute dream for air guitar afficionados).  Even “Shut Your Mouth,” which features Michael Knott on backing vocals, has a slight touch, with it’s “Doors”-like keyboards.

However, Martin is still a melancholy man.  “We’re The Ordinary” and “Fell In Love At 22” are simply beautiful in their simplicity.  Starflyer’s sad songs are successful because of their humility.  We don’t hear Martin making sweeping existential statements or whining about angst.  That’s why I can listen to his sad songs over and over and not feel like I’m listening to someone whining about their life.

The Fashion Focus is another success for Jason Martin.  Starflyer is one of those rare bands that continues to evolve, not in response to trends and fashions, but simply in response to what sounds good.

This album is intensely both weird and cool. I own it, and listen to it over and over. It is not as good as “Gold” or “Americana,” SF59’s newer albums, but it still is extremely well-done. It has a noisy, distorted, space-rock kind of sound, like feedback-static buzz.  The rocking sounds of “Blue Collar Love” and “The Dungeon” are just awesome.

I can’t describe SF59’s sound in words, you HAVE to listen to it. It is like not very many other bands. Perhaps My Bloody Valentine or Morella’s Forest, but it is superbly unique. One of my favorite albums of all time. Jason Martin is a genius.

Written by Andrew Olson.