I'm just going to go ahead and say it...Kevin Barnes. From the light touches of soul and funk, to the use of found sound, to bandleader André Brorsson's wobbly croon, the of Montreal leadman's DNA is all over Stars in Coma's fifth album, "Midnight puzzle". Not that there's anything wrong with that.
The Malmo, Sweden-based quartet creates a dazzling cloud of sound that deftly skirts baccalaurean excess -- even as synths, guitars, dulcimers, choirs and strings are piled sky-high. Ideas as well are stockpiled with a care that almost borderlines on fetishism. The album contains a career's worth of evolution all silly-stringed together -- songs seemingly traveling from point A to B via point D. Or, as is the case of opening track "And so", via point X -- its jaunty, folk pop transforming into a nu-disco jam before folding in on itself in a radio-influenced haze.
For a lesser band, this more-is-more technique might indicate hiding behind sound rather than songwriting. However, Brorsson exonerates himself nicely on the title track -- a 1970s torch song ballad featuring his expelled angst over a single piano and whistled refrain. Hard to believe this is the same guy who hit the dance floor on previous tune, the slick new wave jam "Unique emotion". But therein lies the power of Stars in Coma: over the course of "Midnight puzzle", they somehow manage to be all things to most listeners...and they do so brilliantly. - Laura Studarus
Swedish indie act Stars in Coma has a new 7-track mini-album posted for free download: http://starsincoma.bandcamp.com/album/prototype-paradise
Said collection is called "Prototype paradise" and it features a Strawbs cover plus a number of leftovers from the upcoming record "Midnight puzzle", due out March 25 via .
Think back to the time when The Field Mice released their EP "Sensitive", add some melancholic electro beat, the 80's synth and a thinner version of Pelle Almquvist's voice, with a tiny flashback to London, to The Beatles. This is Stars In Coma. Not flashy or classy. "You're still frozen in time" ain't giving that wow feeling, but rather a conclusion of alright pop music with a general positive impression and a few hits. When listening to "I saw my heart passing by" I had to look at the playlist, to make sure it wasn't Andreas Jonsson's "Sing for me", parenthesis: meaning high quality, therefore their best track. Vocalist André Brorsson has, sadly, a too fragile and ordinary voice, sometimes too whiny, to reach the top. Chris Martin is fragile and whiny, but importantly eccentric. Maybe André needs to twist it up to make his sound more tweepoppy, more special. Well, I think of London when I listen to this. I bet my head that this will be suitable to the taste of 'Londoners'. Right now I'm wondering if the lath in Sweden is placed high up above, coming to the scene of pop and indie. - Therese Buxfäldt
Stars in Coma's new album "You're still frozen in time" has been confirmed for a March 5 release via a collaboration between labels Plastilina Records and Music Is My Girlfriend. Said album will include a few tracks from past CDRs as well as new songs.
Stars In Coma
Stars In Coma
