Been Stellar have been tipped as oneof NYC’s brightest new guitar hopes. This quintet of Nico Brunstein (bass), Sam Slocum (vocals), Skyler Knapp (guitar), Laila Wayans (drums), and Nando Dale (guitar) are adopted New Yorkers who create a sound that is loaded with melodic shoegaze and towering dream-pop, and release their debut album `Scream From New York, NY` this month.
The album opens with `Start Again` which has a kind of nervous, restless anxiety about it as if the lyrics have a time constraint on them and need to be shared before it`s too late. We enjoy a more trancelike vibe with `Passing Judgement` which has some delightfully melodic guitar riffs and a guiding drumbeat.
Pumpkin is an introspective reflective piece which ambles along and was inspired by a visual the singer had of an apartment light shining through its windows out onto a street at night. He imagined the people inside the apartment crossing back and forth in front of the window along with some earlier personal life reflections. Title track `Scream From New York, NY` opens and continues with an enticing drum rhythm and the song appears to almost awake as it progresses with vocals, guitars and bass joining on route. At times it hints at exploding into life but delightfully teases as it keeps itself in check.
`Sweet` may be about close relationships and the unspoken bonds that they create and as such it`s an intense but charming melodic composition. I thought `Can`t Look Away` had a pretty spellbinding, mesmeric beat or rhythm that seemed to pull you into its heart.
`Shimmer` kind off does what the title suggests and glistens. A gentle number that become wonderfully enthralling as it evolves. There`s a further dreamy submission in `Takedown` a cut that that rarely threatens but becomes nigh on ethereal.
I read that the lyrics to `All In One` “grapple with processing the mundane daily tasks we all carry out, and how they connect to understanding our lives in a larger sense.” It`s a slightly off kilter number that has irregular, spluttering almost stuttering drums and riffs with vocals that are splayed atop at times and at others cry out in frustration. The album closes with `I Have the Answer` which is fairly anthemic and develops quietly with shimmering guitar chord riffs that expand as the track evolves and progresses.
`Scream From New York, NY` is a delightful way to spend around forty-five minutes. It`s quite hard to describe what it is about the release that will attract you to it`s many hidden layers but believe me it really draws you in. There are so many influences here but Been Stellar have imbibed them all and created a sound of their own. On the strength of their debut album the future certainly looks stellar for these adopted New Yorkers.
Rating 9 / 10
