Staring Into Nothing: Love

Staring Into Nothing is the duo of Steve Rogers (piano, keyboards, lead vocals) and Kurt Barabas (bass, Taurus pedals, guitars, backing vocals) and hail from Southern California. The band’s debut Power was released in 2017, followed by their sophomore effort titled Love, released in March, 2020.

The duo has some great musicians lending a helping hand including:
Gregg Bissonette (drums)
Mike Keneally (lead guitar, organs)
Trey Gunn (Warr guitar)
Dave Nachmanoff (acoustic guitar, backing vocals)

This has been another great find, another band unfamiliar to me that has released an excellent album. This is sophisticated pop rock and although this is not progressive rock it certainly could be labelled as Art Pop. Although the band sounds nothing like XTC, the IQ level is similar, producing very intelligent songs beginning with the first track “Winter�, a fine art pop tune with just the right amount of moodiness. Think ‘80s era Alan Parsons. Next is the super catchy “Spring� filled with tasty keyboards and guitar, very understated with a beautifully crafted arrangement and melody. The lead vocals are fantastic and is a highlight on every track. On “Summer� the catchiness continues this time adding well placed horns in the arrangement. Imagine a mixture of ‘80s era Alan Parsons and Chicago. I really dig the bass and vocals, both lead and backing. More horns are utilized in “Beautiful Delusion�, an absolute earworm with its tasty lead guitar and progressive arrangement. Pretty sure I hear Gunn’s Warr guitar in this one. The band’s Beatles’ influence can be heard on the sublime pop of “Only Love� and in the last track “Amazing Grace�, not the famous Gospel song, the music and lyrics form a poignancy that has a depth of feeling not often heard in a pop album.

For superbly crafted arrangements and delightful melodies, look no further than Love, a highlight within the art pop genre. Highly recommended.

Track Listing:
1. Winter
2. Spring
3. Summer
4. Autumn
5. The Thin Line
6. Beautiful Delusion
7. Only Love
8. The Ties That Bind
9. Find Our Way Back
10. To All
11. Ashes
12. Amazing Grace

Added: April 15th 2021
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 1052
Language: english

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