Star and Micey is a new indie pop band from Memphis, who have just completed the recording of their self-titled debut record at the legendary Ardent Studios. The core of Star and Micey is comprised of Joshua Cosby (guitars/lead vocals), Geoff Smith (bass, vocals, percussion), and Nick Redmond (lead guitars). The trio named themselves after a homeless man who called himself Star, who one day told Cosby about a song he wrote about his ex-wife Micey. The band is supported by the newly reactivated Ardent Music label, which was founded in 1959 and brought the hugely influential Big Star (no relation to the homeless dude mentioned above) to the world. So do Star and Micey stand out in a musical universe consisting of billions and billions of wannabe stars?
Probably not, but one can easily spot a few twinkling diamonds in their sky. The music is generally upbeat yet tranquil - a gentle blend of quirky folk rock and pop sensibility. Cosby's vocals are shaky and timid, sometimes so shaky that you're not sure if its a vibrato or nerves. He frequently glides into a rather effeminate falsetto that will impress or scare you. But to his credit, Cosby's vocals are soothing and nonthreatening, well suited to the brand of folk pop they have mastered.
Highlights include the joyously poppy "Carly" (complete with a great sing-a-long ba bop ba ba line in the chorus), "My Beginning", and the undeniably infectious "So Much Pain", which is my favorite in the pack. If you like Jack Johnson, Frente!, or Paul Turner, be sure to lend an ear to "Star and Micey" sometime soon. The album is out October 20.
iPOD-worthy: 2, 3, 5
Star and Micey on MySpace. Official site.
No comments:
Post a Comment