Dryvetyme Onlyne

Starflyer 59
My Island
Tooth & Nail; 2006
Rating: 7.4

I’ve been listening Jason Martin’s words & music since Gold, having found that gem in the midst of the tumult that was High School. Seriously now, what Starflyer 59 fan of any credibility (male or female) doesn’t have a story about how “Messed Up Over You” put words to their adolescent, love-struck angst? Therefore, ever since then, I have staunchly and fervently defended Starflyer 59’s work, even as the line-up was regularly shuffled, Martin adjusted his inspiration, and morphed his sound, changes that often left older fans behind, while acquiring new ones along the way. It’s been a long road for Martin & his collaborators. Nevertheless, Leave Here A Stranger still ranks as one of my Top Ten Desert Island Albums of All Time – the album’s austere beauty stands up as a rarity amongst the unrelenting flood of feedback loops that typically defines shoegazing indie rock.

However, with the seemingly perpetual transformations that Starflyer 59 has gone through in the past decade (from Fashion Focus up to & including My Island), liking these guys has become almost frustrating, up to the point that I have simply ceased to have any expectations of what a new album might sound like. It’s hard to admit this, as a long-term fan of this band, but I’m not even sure if I can even anticipate anything anymore. Thus, while it is remarkable that Martin can still regularly craft above-average indie-pop songs while constantly shifting the form & tone of the music, I find myself wishing that he would find a style and stick to it (at least for 2 or 3 records). The prodigious quantity of music that Martin & Co. record, produce, and distribute is a testament to how much this band is driven by the love of music and the love of making music. I can never question the musical temerity it must take to work a full-time job driving trucks in California (which Martin has been doing since before Starflyer 59 was even in existence) and still have the time to write & record songs that are always varying in focus. But I can question the need to always re-invent your sound – the ostensible lack of stability can be quite unnerving to the long-standing listener.

Yet, I have to openly admit that I like My Island a great deal, as it represents what I feel has been lacking for the band since LHAS was released over 5 years ago – musical cohesion between the members of the band. Martin, through his own choices or just the whims of the West Coast indie rock scene, has presided over a revolving door of musicians for the entire history of his band. The strength of the songs penned by Martin have always under-girded the direction of the band, but his best work has come in conjunction with great musicians and contributors. Case in point – LHAS had Josh Dooley (who leads his own band Map) on guitar, Joey Esquibel on drums, and Terry Taylor (of Daniel Amos & Lost Dogs fame) as the producer, while Old and Talking Voice v. Singing Voice saw the band move through two total line-up changes (though Richard Swift, who played on Old, has moved onto make his own great music). However, from the opening riffs of the first track, My Island rings loudly & and repeatedly a clarion call that musicianship does matter and chemistry amongst those talented musicians matters even more.

Never before has the bass guitar rumbled, moved, and driven a song by Starflyer 59 – Steven Dial gives Martin’s songs a depth and character they’ve never possessed and any prior albums (sorry Jeff Cloud). Hence, with the bass providing fresh life and the voracious drumming of Trey Many & Trevor Monks pushing the songs, Martin & Dooley are able to let their guitars freely jangle, as they pick out complimentary melody lines that truly display the greatness of Martin’s songwriting ability. My Island is replete with instances where Starflyer 59 showcases how their talent has always been on par with other more-notable indie rock bands, even though they’ve always found ways to stay out of any kind of spotlight. The standout tracks include “I Win,” “My Island” (the title track), and “Pearl of Great Price” – all songs where the 5 men work as one, creating great, hook-filled rock songs. I count it a compliment to say that My Island is a Starflyer 59 record and not a Jason Martin record.

However, even with all of the applause and praise I’m heaping upon this album, what plagues this album is what’s plagued the last few albums – brevity, in the worst possible way. This 10-song album clocks in at barely 34 minutes and I have issues with that. I’ve purchased punk albums that are only 34 minutes, but there might be 13-15 songs on those albums, and I’ve purchased 10-song rock albums, but those have been 40-45 minute long albums. As good as the songs on My Island are, there are times when it seems that the band simply stops the song before it’s necessary. I am not advocating that the guys should be needlessly and indulgently jamming for minutes on end just to satisfy my ridiculous length-of-album requirements, but I would have enjoyed hearing more examples where these 5 musicians relish playing with each other. “Nice Guy” is the only song on the album that even attempts this and clocks in at 5:11 to do so, meaning that, while not every song has to have such an instrumental component, the band seems able to do so with aplomb and ease. So, why not play out and play longer more often?

All in all, My Island is a quality record that was quite easy to listen to and derive enjoyment from, and, more importantly, it was able to stave off my creeping fear of unending mutation for Starflyer 59. A talented band such as this shouldn’t be afflicted with uncertainty amongst its fan base as to whether or not the next album will be any good (only radio pop/rock fans who should have to bear that tawdry musical burden). So, in case Mr. Martin is actually reading this review, I offer two suggestions: 1) Keep Dooley, Dial, Many, & Monks around for a long time, since it seems that they really understand how to play your songs; and 2) Write longer songs for all of you to play – I challenge you to write an album of great 4-minute pop songs.