by Sara Nuta (@ok____sara)
The original idea to create Star Party was dreamt up during a trip to eastern Washington, where Carolyn Brennan and Ian Corrigan (the latter in Gen Pop and Vexx) picked up inspiration and flowers in tow, and the duo was born. After releasing their first EP Demo 2020 via Feel It Records, the “misty coastal rockers”—skilled in feedback-heavy melodies—have just released their debut album, Meadow Flower, securing their position as a promising new band to watch.
The sound of Meadow Flower isn’t confined to the boundaries of genre so much as it is marked by high-energy; if this album is on when I’m walking down the street, move out of the way. Drawing from elements of garage, punk, and bits of surfy riffs, Star Party compose fuzzy, hectic textures inscribed in undeniably fun hooks. Meadow Flower is imaginative and catchy as it raucous.
Invoking the punk spirit, Meadow Flower packs a punch in just eight songs, and wraps up in under twenty minutes. The raw garage energy of the album is reminiscent of early indie pop from the likes of The Flatmates, to Black Tambourine (as cited by the band) to the twee stylings of Talulah Gosh. Their inspired sound jostles and jangles around like a hidden gem you discover via a C86 compilation, turning into an instant classic in your rotation.
Through the record, Brennan’s fluid vocal delivery works well in contrast to the heavier instrumentation, as her lyrics flow and dip over the cracks to create an opaque sonic palette. Lead single “Push You Aside” is a standout—a moshy slice of heaven that drives fast and loose through three minutes of pissed off momentum. The band takes things down a notch on the eponymous title track, “Meadow Flowers,” which plays out slightly melancholically in comparison to the album’s other blistering tracks. On “Shot Down,” another album highlight, the lo-fi sonic elements swirl together and fall into rhythm, bringing Brennan’s voice to the fore, mellow and arresting. Her lyrics leave no room for questions, like on “Living a Lie” when she asserts: “It’s a pain to cry / what’s the point / you never try.”
The playful tension of this sonic contrast echoes aesthetically in the band’s colorful visual elements. The cover for Meadow Flower (by Brennan) depicts a wavy mountainous scene with hints of psychedelica in blooming, poppy-reds, blues, and orange flowers. The video for Shot Down features an animation style that captures childlike wonder and spaced-out visual tropes—including a green snail delightfully rocking out on a pink, claymated guitar. Perhaps, most importantly, these stylistic choices emulate the band’s youthful spirit, as they craft songs that remind you of growing up and feeling angsty, but ultimately, excited to be alive. Meadow Flower is filled with fun, noisy hits that conjure distinct memories of human connection and all the frustration that comes along with it, and they’re only getting better.