Have you heard of this week’s Space review – Absentstar? No? Well, what are you doing, quit reading this and go take a listen. Or listen while reading.
Absentstar, while friends of Lumino Magazine, is a great Chicago band that was recently signed by Columbia Records (yes, another notch on Chicago’s belt for up-and-comers). And, after releasing their debut major label release “Sea Trials”, the band has been active on the road (including a recent stop at Loyola) with Third Eye Blind. It is certainly nice to see a solid Chicago band being recognized by national media and national support.
OK, enough kissing their asses. Well, maybe not. Their Space is full of creativity, powerful photos, and videos. All good, but somewhat cluttered. The cover of their new album is perfect – stylish, yet simple. That’s what I expect out of their page. They present guests with tons of great information, which again is great, but because their music, their image, and their style presents such smoothness, I would like to see them focus a little more on the design of their site. Make it a little simpler.
However, even though I rag on the design, their photos are perfect – and deep. Absentstar offers tons of visuals in their photos of live performances mixed with still shots. Included in those photos are some great ones from Lumino’s Jingle Your Bells concert last December (check them out).
If you haven’t pulled up their music, which includes five songs featured on their album, you should. Listening to them while reading this review makes for an experience. Their top song, “For God Sakes” is a favorite of mine, and obviously the majority of their fans, as it has collected 20,237 plays.
As popular “For God Sakes” is, I am a huge fan of “Half Life”, a song that has only collected 12,870 plays. This song has the makings of a national single, as it has catchy lyrics, powerful instrumentals and is just a well rounded song. Lead singer Derek Ingersoll shows off the versatility of his voice with smoothness on both high and low notes – even screaming. And Marshall Hanbury, Heath Hamilton, Noel Annim, and Andy Dixon provide perfect support.
Another song worth noting is “If What You Mean is Harm”, in which one of their super fan tattooed lyrics on their leg – “No Love, Loss, or Harm” alongside the Absentstar logo. This song has only collected 5,746 plays, but if fans embrace the lyrics like this super fan, this song could quickly climb the ranks of their top played songs.
The one complaint I have about their song selection, is that they should have “If What You Mean is Harm” or “Half Life” as the lead in song, not “Give In To Me”, which could arguably be the bands worst song out of five. However, since it has collected only 1,407 plays, perhaps moving it to the top is a strategic move to gain more attention and chances from its friends – who, by the way, are very hot!
The last song on their Space is “If You Like It”, collecting 5,409 plays, and probably yet another underappreciated tune.
All in all, I am very glad these guys are getting the attention they deserve. Will they be Chicago’s Coldplay? Probably not, but if the fan base grows, these guys can continue to have a career playing music. This is just the start for the boys.
For more information on this recently major label signed band, visit www.myspace.com/absentstar
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