Independent rock band Starcrazy is scheduled to release its EP, Another Day, Another Squalor Friday. The six-song record is one of the true hidden gems of the rock community this year. That is proven through its musical and lyrical content alike. The singles that the record has already spawned – ‘Hysterical,’ ‘The Open Sea’ and ‘Eggin’ Me On’ – both do well to make that clear. The other trio of songs featured along with those works – ‘Galaxy O Luv,’ ‘The Big Time’ and ‘Monday Morning (Prayer For Tony’ – also do their own share to engage and entertain audiences. When these three songs are considered along with the trio of songs already released, the whole makes Another Day, Another Squalor a presentation that shows promise for Starcrazy’s future. Whatever that future may be, the EP in whole proves to be among the best of this year’s top new EPs.
Another Day, Another Squalor, the new EP from Starcrazy, is a strong new offering from the up-and-coming independent rock band. It is yet more proof that despite what some still want to believe, rock is still alive and well. Its musical and lyrical content alike do well to prove that. The record’s opener, ‘Galaxy O Luv’ is just one of the songs featured in the record that serves to support that statement. The song immediately grabs listeners with its neo-classic rock infused arrangement, led by guitarist Odin Wolf. His bluesy riffs and front man Marcus Fraser’s vocal delivery fully immerse listeners in the song. Bassist Jack Barratt’s low-end compliments the pair’s work just as well while also serving expertly as a companion to the work of drummer Jack Farmer. That funky bass line is right there with Farmer, accenting Farmer’s bass drum line so well while adding just enough touch to the whole. The collective work of all four musicians makes for so much enjoyment here and really lends itself to comparison to works from the likes of Poison, Motley Crue, and others of that ilk while still managing successfully to maintain its own identity.
The energy in the song’s musical arrangement works with the song’s lyrical theme to make for even more engagement and entertainment. That is because the song’s lyrical theme is meant to be just as uplifting as its musical content. The inferred theme here is one of reminding one’s self of the positives in life even among all the difficult days. This is inferred in the song’s lead verse and chorus, which state, “Giving it all you’ve got now/But you’ve got to give it more/Breaking your back for a living/Shocks your system to the core/Just take a look outside/Look into the sky/Can you feel it/Sent for the universe/ A little message…/Straight for the galaxy of love.” The song’s second verse seems to hint at that inferred theme just as much as it states, “Everyone’s got their pants on/Everyone’s feeling just alright/We’re gonna break out baby/We’re gonna do it up tonight.” As it is worded here, this all just seems to be meant as an uplifting message of having good times to offset all the hard work that brings us down each day. This is all just this critic’s interpretation, of course. If it is in fact somewhere in the proverbial ballpark, then it is a message that plenty of listeners will appreciate, especially considering how much motivation people need each day, especially nowadays. When that seeming positive message is paired with the song’s equally uplifting musical arrangement, the whole makes clear how much of a role this song plays in the EP’s bigger picture. It is just one of the songs that serves to show the EP’s strength, too. ‘Big Time’ is another example of how much this new EP has to offer.
The musical arrangement featured in ‘Big Time’ is just part of what makes the song stand out. The work of the band in whole makes this arrangement work. The funky guitar and bass lines and polyrhythmic patterns in the drumming pair with the vocals here to make for quite the unique arrangement. On the one hand, the collective performances of the band members make the song comparable to works from the likes of The Rolling Stones and oddly enough, The Bangles. It sounds like a weird combination of influences, but it is there at least in this critic’s ears, and it works, too, as it creates its own unique musical identity. That catchy musical content is just the foundation for this song. Its lyrical content adds its own touch to the presentation here.
The lyrical theme featured here hints at being about making the most of life, especially for those who want to make something of themselves. This is inferred in the song’s lead verse and chorus, which state, “Here we are/In the same old jam going nowhere/Daytime TV has got me losing my hair/I gotta get myself together now/I gotta bend my money/Put it down…” The last part of the chorus is tough to decipher sans lyrics to reference, but enough of the verse and chorus is understandable to the point that the seeming message becomes clear. The song’s second verse adds more to that seeming theme as it states, “Living the dream in a magazine/Such a good time/I said get yourself together for the big time/I have got to get myself together now/I gotta bet my money/Put it down/Because I want it all and I want it now/You can have it all/It’s up to you/Because there is nothing left for you to learn.” This, again seems to hint at a person reminding himself/herself that he/she controls his/her future and fate. If in fact this is the message in the lyrical content here, then it works on a level that should resonate just as much with listeners. That is because we do in fact control what happens with us at least to a point. If this theme is what is here, then it and the song’s mid-tempo arrangement pair to make for even more engagement and entertainment here. They collectively show even more, why the song and EP are worth hearing, just like ‘Galaxy O Luv.’ To that end, it is just one more example of what makes this record worth hearing. The EP’s finale, ‘Monday Morning (Prayer For Tony)’ is one more example of what makes this EP interesting.
‘Monday Morning (Prayer For Tony)’ is a stark contrast to the rest of the record’s entries in terms of its musical arrangement. That is because unlike those songs, this composition is so much heavier in its sound and body. The richness is due in large part to the blending of its guitar and bass lines. The classic rock influences are still on display here, but they play more of a supporting role to the primary portion of the arrangement, which is something of a rock/hard rock style composition that bridged that period between the late 80s and early 90s. The whole is a presentation that is easily content for a single. The song’s lyrical content makes for even more interest.
According to information provided about Another Day, Another Squalor, the lyrical side of this song centers on Fraser’s neighbor. As the information states, his neighbor frequently got death threats from his roommate, who allegedly was a drug addict. Knowing this is the theme, there is little reason to delve too much into the lyrics here, though the statement at the end of the lead verse that “you’d better watch your back” and the later statement in the song’s second verse that “he’s gonna die here” would seem to lay a certain tone about that roommate. To that end, the message becomes clear about what type of person his neighbor’s roommate was. Keeping that in mind, the pairing of that unique story with the song’s catchy musical arrangement makes it yet another song that will engage and entertain audiences. In turn, it proves once more why Another Day, Another Squalor is so worth hearing. When it is considered along with the other songs examined here and with the song’s other trio of songs, which have served as its singles, the whole makes this EP a work that offers promise for Starcrazy’s future.
Another Day, Another Squalor, the new EP from Starcrazy, is an applause-worthy presentation from the up-and-coming independent rock act. That is proven through the record’s musical and lyrical content alike. The songs examined here serve as proof of those statements. When they are considered alongside the record’s three singles, the whole makes the EP a positive sign of hope for Starcrazy’s future and at the same time, is another of this year’s definite top new EPs.
Another Day, Another Squalor is scheduled for release Friday. More information on the record is available along with all of Starcrazy’s latest news at:
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