Life is a cabaret, old chums, with the scintillating Take Back The Night (Sumerian Records). A power-packed, credulity-stretching showcase of strong, strong pop-rock songwriting and arranging courtesy of Starbenders; this album is full of punky attitude and thrusting ambition.
“Ain’t no use in burning witches, when we die we’re twice as vicious …”
Although this Atlanta-based (motley?!) crew of androgynous, hedonistic hellions may have been sold to you as a throwback to the glam era, there is also much of the zeitgeist about them. Old-school me is soaking in the artwork on the cover and trying to decide which Kiss record the poses remind me of … Love Gun! And I have to say stand-out, synth-burbling, kit-pounding track “Sex” was made for lovin’ you, and you were made for lovin’ it.
“Blood Moon” is so “in your face” it quickly takes up residence in the back of your head and is likely to stay there for some time. “If You Need It” lights up the sky – a pure treat, a statement of intent with a universal grain of dust vision, a chorus set to stun and a drum track to bolt-rivet gun turrets on to warships.
You desire a firm grip on why the Starbenders formula works so well, the chemistry just so right? There’s more chance of finally working out what went down at Roswell. But look no further than singer Kimi Shelter (other “Stoned” monikers could include Sum Girl, or Becky Banquet?). Kimi is the star, the pearl, and not simply due to her snarling, lip-curling, beautifully brash vocals. She has previously spoken about influences such as Abba, Fleetwood Mac, Springsteen, and Van Halen – Kimi knows the territory, knows the score, the industry – the look, the hooks and the dynamics.
It’s not all about Kimi, of course. There is always a large amount of prep work behind every landmark – and yes, this right here, right now, feels like a landmark, from a band with almost illimitable possibilities – but prep, essentially, is about the people involved, the people who make it work (whatever the “bosses” might try to claim!). Despite an outward insolent insouciance, it’s oh-so-obvious much work has gone in here – more prep, less schlep.
The axe hero is Kriss Tokaji, and there is outstanding lead and rhythm geetar on this album, which is an all-around pulsing, throbbing delight, full of demon riffage. Aaron Lecesne is a dynamo on bass, strongly to the fore on sleaze-fest “Body Talk”, with the superb Emily Moon impressing throughout on drums. Songwriting buddies and collaborators include James Hall and production ace Nico Constantine (Lady Gaga’s old chum).
There are all sorts of hints at apparent inspirations, from Roxy Music, Blondie to Pat Benatar and The Killers, with a touch of Angelo Badalamenti. But back to Cabaret – that 1972 movie, via its literary and stage evolution (Isherwood; Kander and Ebb, etc) is about the glam and the glitz, the thighs and the eyes, the darker side of life and the darker side of humanity. Take Back The Night may not directly tackle the rise of fascism in the same way, but its origins, reportedly, were muddied by issues such as alcoholism, addiction, and mental illness – the dark side is there, starkly real in “We’re Not Ok”, “If You Need It”, and others.
The soaring and emotional “Say You Will” has a klezmer-ish polka swing that recalls, among many others, My Chemical Romance’s “Mama”, which featured Cabaret’s Liza Minnelli, do n’tcha know? Surely a reminder that things have a way of circling back around us? Kimi sings: “The pendulum forever swings with the hands of time …”, and talking about the passage and the pincers of time, Alice Cooper’s “Poison” gets the full Starbenders treatment, a truly excellent cover version.
There are no misfires in the thirteen tracks. “Cherry Wine” is absolutely intoxicating, and if the blood-pumping “The End Is Near” doesn’t get you going, you’re dead already. “Marianne” is another galloping, hair-in-the-wind beauty. Anthemic, air-punching opener “The Game” is perhaps the best of the lot.
“Their lies will never break me, everybody knows I’m crazy. We can face the darkness, baby …”
Come to the cabaret.
Buy the album here:
9 / 10
CALLUM REID