Starless
How Life Should Be

When Set Your Goals burst onto the scene with "Mutiny!" my love for what was produced by that group of young, energetic individuals soon became boundless. A lively album, very American in its perfectly self-contained nature and live enough to spark curiosity around them.

A necessary introduction to present “How Life Should Be,” the debut album by Pescara’s Starless and a pleasant surprise, at least for me. In the eleven tracks they have produced, what emerges is the freshness of the offering, very minimal in terms of songwriting (four-four rhythms and a leading riff characterize the sound) and captivating in the vocal parts, decidedly impactful. Essentially, we could almost speak of a live album since Starless have focused entirely on the enthusiastic effect generated by solutions that are catchy enough, with beautiful melodies and striking choruses completing the work.

Comparing them to bands like Set Your Goals!, No Trigger, and Crime In Stereo comes almost naturally given the quality of the product, clearly targeted to what the American market offers us in terms of pop-punk and melodic hardcore. If musically Starless have completed their task without too many problems aiming for adequacy, the vocal part raises the qualitative bar substantially. The main voice is melodic and effective in every track of the album, supported by impactful and simply fitting choruses. What Starless will need to focus on in the future are definitely the lyrics: it’s fine to be carefree, but a bit more personality in the themes would help a lot. The recording is up to the task, skillfully ensuring that no single sound element becomes intrusive to the detriment of the rest and well-conceived even in the faster moments, where typically muddled sounds are commonplace. The most representative tracks are found at the beginning of the album, with two hits like “Respect Can’t Be Bought” and “Charlie Is Not A Dog” making the difference, while in the end, the quartet lets themselves be swept away by their desire for melody, highlighted by the acoustic “Bring Yourself To Happiness.”

In conclusion, Starless are currently one of the few new bands worthy of attention; we just hope that their enthusiasm and willingness to take risks do not wane over time. Keep it up!