Album Review: Starbenders - Love Potions

We have heard a slew of bands over the last couple of years who are trying to bring back the 80s. For most of them, that means either adding too much reverb to their music, or throwing cheesy synths onto everything. Time only moves in one directions, so these attempts to bring back the past are merely a coat of paint atop music that doesn't need to be dressed up. If you're going to be diving back into some of those sounds, you need to do something fresh with them, which so few of them are able to. Starbenders are trying to do just that. The self-proclaimed glam-punks have heavy doses of latter-day synths, but there's a spirit about their music that feels unique among this wave.

We get a heavy dose of that on the first song, "Hangin' On Tonight", where the band sounds like they're having a blast, and Kimi Shelter's voice cuts through with the swagger and tone of Stevie Nicks. Glam punk does sound like an accurate description of the music, with the combination of synth atmospheres and slick melodies pulling a bit from both of those genres. When Starbenders are at their best, their music is bright, peppy, and charmingly fun. I suppose you could say they're an alternate-universe version of The Smiths, where a Morrissey who doesn't hate himself instead pointed his band towards a good time.

With "Precious", we get a combination of gritty guitars and essentially synthwave, but with a bouncier melody than my limited exposure to the sound is used to. But that's nothing compared to "Holy Mother", which is an earworm for sure. There's still nuance to the arrangement, but everything is focused on Kimi's gripping hook. It's the key to all great music; no matter what you want the listener to take away from your music, you have to give them a reason to keep listening. The point gets lost if no one is paying attention when you make it. Starbenders are about more than simple hooks, but those are what get you in the door.

"Bitches Be Witches" adds in some flavor from the occult rock wave, and Kimi's voice is a perfect fit for the style, with the slight grit and sinister tone playing so well against the big pop hook of the song. It's fantastic stuff.

Sure, with fourteen tracks on the record, there are a few that don't reach the same heights. "Never Gonna Die" is the least melodic song, and doesn't have nearly the same snap or sparkle the better tracks on the album do. I get what they were going for, but it does detract from the run of great songs the album builds up. Still, one misstep doesn't harm an album very much. I just wouldn't be an honest critic if I didn't mention it.

In the end, what Starbenders have give us with "Love Potions" is a record with a lot going for it. Throwing the past and present together, their sound is endearing, and their songwriting is strong. They could have polished this record to within an inch of its life, but that would have neutered the power that comes from something not being perfect. By being a bit messy, it's better. "Love Potions" is a fun record, and it's one I'm glad to have heard.