Bright Like Stars
Reflections
(self released)
Well, this is a revelation. I come to this by being a fan of Neil Burkdoll’s instrumental work with the fantastic band Whimsical. I’ve long admired the dream pop vistas he has created with singer/songwriter Krissy Vanderwoude, and especially how his music has progressively improved through the years. In a similar long distance songwriting style, Burkdoll has joined forces with Craig Douglas (from bands Neonach and Omega Vague – though I’ve never heard of either) to conjure up a varied collection of heavy alternative guitar rock. I use the term “alternative,” because these songs kind of remind me of listening to those mid 90s “alternative rock” radio stations when they exploded onto the scene.
These songs invoke the spirit of the sounds of a bunch of those bands, but not any particular one. Each song is different in a way that listening to a variety of different bands on a radio station might be, and honestly, each song is varied within. I’ll admit that there is a mild sense of nostalgia for this old fart while listening to the aptly titled Reflections, but not in a direct way. These songs are completely all their own. Douglas’s vocals do remind me a bit of a meeting point between Perry Farrell and Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley, while Burkdoll’s music runs the gamut from the My Bloody Valentine buzzing howls of the first single “Reeling” (available now) to a few tastefully well placed guitar solos.
While there are some heavy moments that recall Gish – era Smashing Pumpkins, such as the opening “Ever Fading,” “The Healing,” and the powerhouse “The End,” there are uptempo numbers as well, like the dreamy vocals on top of a Bad Religion drum beat, along with several crunchy/catchy pop tunes like “Star Dust,” “The Less You know,” and both the album closer and my early favorite song “On the Other Side,” with its soaring chorus.
There’s a freshness to Reflections that reminds me of the first time I hear DC band Shudder to Think way back in 1991. It checks a lot of boxes, feels comfortable and familiar, yet wholly new. It feels like these guys were inspired and had fun creating these songs, and its infectious. Plus this is a "Name Your Own Price" release on Band camp! Check it out when it relases on November 29th, it's definitely worth your time.
