Starfucker-Reptilians | DOA


Starfucker - Reptilians

Okay, let’s get the obvious out of the way first. With a name like Starfucker you better be monumentally good or bad; then again you might put on a hell of a stage show. Whatever the case may be, you have caught the attention of plenty of people just by the name of your band. Enter stage right, so when I popped (actually downloaded) Reptilians into my IPod I really can’t say what I expected to hear. Partly due to me experimenting with how I review music, and another part of me not feeling like researching beforehand. My feeling is, you are able to get a better snapshot of art when you are surprised by it; at least this has been my experience with impromptu endeavors. Either way, I was not expecting the sound that was spilling forth to be so damn catchy.

Reptilians is accessible and appealing enough for somebody who does not do a ton of dancing (i.e. me). For the most part, electronic and synth music can get old easily if not done well; I do not really dance unless a gun is pointed to my head or somebody is shooting at my feet. Admittedly, I loved every second of this moody indie-dance-pop jaunt. The shimmering melodies that sometimes seem to stray into Shoegaze territory, the high pitched synchronized disaffected vocals; the trance inducing synth and electronic pulsating beats – What is not to love? This music has a very moody subtext which is of course death; yes scratching your head would be totally appropriate now, because this is not a typical dance music motif. Then again this is not a run of the mill dance album, so it all manages to balance out. However, the guys pull it off and make it work; from the brightly tinged opener “Born” to the more subdued and somewhat sexy “Bury us Alive”, and everything in between. A personal favorite of mine is “Julius” as it finds the perfect balance of everything that makes the album so great; it reminds me of night driving and has a haunting cum hypnotic feel to it. You are sure to have a slightly perplexed smile on your face accompanied by copious synchronized toe tapping. The spoken asides even fit in with the rest of the music and even add a bit of profound mysticism to the auditory expanses. Fans of Teen Daze and Sexton Blake are sure to get plenty of mileage out of these 12 groovy tracks. One more thing – yes, I did say groovy, that was not a typo.

Starfucker definitely have a gem with Reptilians, and have managed to make a remarkable album from a genre that can become quite stagnant and derivative of itself. Definitely put this album on your road trip playlist, hours will shrink and disappear as this plays. Now, whether you are looking for something to dance to, something to cruise to, or well you know… Reptilians is sure to give you a sonic jolt, whatever the circumstance.