New Starflyer 59: “The Changing of the Guard”

Wow, has it already been two years since the last Starflyer 59 album (2008’s Dial M)?! One of indie rock’s most dependable-yet-overlooked acts returns with their twelfth full-length, The Changing of the Guard, which will be released by Tooth & Nail Records on August 10.

Tooth & Nail has already posted a song from album: entitled “Trucker’s Son”, it’s yet another solid yet unassuming slice of songcraft from Jason Martin. Martin’s voice just keeps getting better with time (I was listening to Americana before I posted this, and I’m glad he’s moved way beyond those breathy stylings). Musically, it’s a subtler, more mature take on the surf and classic pop influences that have been part of Starflyer 59’s aesthetic since day one. But subtlety and maturity shouldn’t be too surprising, seeing as how Martin’s been at this now for sixteen years.

(Forgive the random emphasis, but I’m always blown away when I consider how long I’ve been listening to this band. It seems like only yesterday when I bought Silver on cassette based on a review I read in CCM Magazine. It was the summer after I’d graduated from high school, and I’m surprised the cassette lasted to autumn, considering how much time it spent in my tape player.)