STELLAR VECTOR - review added 11th February 2010
Album Review: A Flock Of Cowards (2010)
For fans of: 'Post Modern Rock'... and neo-electronic pretentiousness
Stellar Vector - Charles Sadler on vocals and keyboards, Jonathan Ford and Kevin Hahn on guitars, Stephan Ahonen on drums, and Mike Johnson on bass - is described as a '5 piece post-modern rock band that draws heavily from various neo-prog and post-punk influences...and makes heavy usage of synthesizers'.
There's not a huge amount you can add to that, apart from exchanging the word 'post' with the word 'pre'. They really do play a leftfield sound that references numerous acts of the past. There's Beatles, Beach Boys, Monkees and all sorts of other retro flavours. Add to that the progressive wanderings of Peter Gabriel, the pop-nonsense of Jarvis Cocker, the serene indie-rock stylings of The Police and the synthetic edge of Gary Newman, and you get exactly what this album is: a very interesting mess.
A Flock Of Cowards follows the band two EPs, Not In A Parallel Universe and You’re Not Included. I haven't heard them so cannot compare. This new album is full of soft self-indulgent tracks that, by rights, I should hate. However, in parts the album actually manages to be really rather interesting. I'm not going to say I love it because I don't, and it certainly won't appeal to everyone, but there's something moorish about it all.
Best song? Rather strangely, that honour has to go to the final entry, the 35 second 'The Not So Hidden Song' which sounds like a silly song from a kids TV song. It's only there as a joke, but it trounces every other entry. 'Lacking Self Control' gets closest out of all the normal tracks
Overall, A Flock Of Cowards is worth a look if you dig the work of the artists who influenced them. If you are a heavy rocker, or like your music uncomplicated and 'easy', Stellar Vector will not be up your street.
Check out... The silly final track.
Track List:
01. Buffalo Jump
02. Lacking Self Control
03. Will Sans Fear
04. The Flock Of Cowards
05. February 14th
06. Titanic Work Ethic
07. Skipping Stones
08. The Boy Who Cried Wolf
09. E.D.
10. Fall-out
11. Closing Notes
12. The Not So Hidden Song
Artist's website(s): Stellar Vector , MySpace
