Album Review

Starrfadu's And Yes... Our Thoughts Were Elsewhere

“Come What May,” The beautifully brash beginning of And Yes... Our Thoughts Were Elsewhere might convince you that you’re listening to the newest Coldplay album. Starrfadu songs sound and feel so familiar you’ll think you’ve heard them before.

But the band breaks away from comparisons after the opener; layers of sustained guitar riffs, broken beats and intertwined rhythms carry the first tracks. The fourth and fifth songs on the album feel a bit unfinished in comparison to the rest of the album; though very good, they are ultimately acoustic singer-songwriter style, and are maybe just out of place here. It’s the band’s ability to build a lush soundscape nestled around Austin Hartley’s acoustic meanderings that make Starrfadu shine brightest.

Hartley’s lyrics resound with loss, love, faith and a sense of acceptance in a dejected society. “Thoughts Of Modern Men” eerily points out the dissection of love and sex in an entertainment-driven culture. The emptiness of materialism and the frustration of seeking purpose become a beautiful theme in “Wisdom From Vanity”, and “So, Nevermind”. On songs like “Let It Out” you can hear the joy that comes from releasing these emotions and an invitation to do just that—let it out.

Members of Starrfadu may have had their thoughts elsewhere but they took no shortcuts in the production of their sophomore release. This album looks and sounds great, and is definitely a professional release from start to finish.

And Yes… Our Thoughts Were Elsewhere is available locally at Borders (3300 S. Glenstone Ave., 417-881-4111).