STARS' BLOOD

Reminiscences of Torment

Yes, I'm aware I've used some dramatic phrases already- and for good reason as I'll explain.

If RAINBOW FACE excels at anything (and they do) it's the liberal use of intertwined lyrics and music to convey drama, desperation, and madness.

Whether it's the dirge-like doom-filled passages in "That Old Gang of Mine", or to stay on that particular example, the jarring dissonance between what might be read as sweet reminiscence of days gone by, but set to dark gloomy instrumentals, RAINBOW FACE paints stark, emotional images with deft musical strength.

RAINBOW FACE

This Oregon, USA trio? Quartet? formed in 2015. On their Bandcamp site three members are listed: Jake Rose: guitar, vocals; Dominique Reveneau: bass; and Salvador Altamirano-Farrell: keyboards and synths, sound design (whatever that means).

At another place, Conor Reilly: drums, is added.

Concept Album?

Here I go out on that shaky reviewer's limb- yes, I call this a concept album, starting with the Pirates lament opening with waves and sea-going sounds, moving into heavier musical waters with the clean voice devolving into harsher tones, cinematic scope of full band in motion- to the final despairing suicidal death-is-release old-timey folk-song Massaged by Bullets- of that same disgraced soldier (?) questioning his/her every martial decision.

And In Between

Songs flow one into the other, and often with ambient sounds and- perhaps TOO often- with chaotic musical hellscapes.

I'm hearing themes of anti-war/militarism, the wantonness of destruction (the devastating The Fighter Pilot with joystick drone 'warriors'), lost loves- and the longest track (and for me the epicenter of the album) Waves.

In this particular track we hear the promise of RAINBOW FACE- an extended instrumental opening with chiming electric piano, wandering bass line, soon adding punchy bass guitar, precise and tasteful drumming, and soon full keyboard sounds.

There are surges and subsiding- much like the central image of the sea in this recording- clean voice and harsh voice sounds, all of which illustrate the sense of drama and desperation this band ably evokes.

I fairly often do not care for harsh vocals, yet I acknowledge that there are places- and here THE WHO and "Won't Get Fooled Again" provide an example- where screams or harsh vocals can be germane to the music. Here, these screams are illustrative of the increasing madness in the main character- the disgraced, tormented, lonely pirate/soldier.

So, in this context, they work.

Comparisons?

I'm not sure that would be helpful here. I thought the band's signature (as I've hopefully outlined above) is pretty unique. There were some moments I thought of "Aviary", a fairly obscure pomp-rock outfit from days of yore- but RAINBOW FACE seemed to me to have its own developing identity.

Some Caveats

Here's why I'm going with 3.5 stars. There's much to like in this debut release. Drama, intertwined music and lyrics- which thank heavens the band makes easily available, fine musicianship, compositional skills, passion and power- a great debut.

I didn't care for the 'Wurlitzer' organ sounds as I'm partial to the Hammond. I thought from a compositional standpoint this band settled sometimes for fairly simplistic sequences, when their track "Waves" gives away the kind of complexity that RAINBOW FACE can pull off, not for the sake of complexity, but to push themselves to go beyond- to progress- and to add heft, which is already considerable.

In Conclusion

Better than 'good', not quite 'excellent' but certainly knocking on its doors- this debut release from RAINBOW FACE (and by the way, in this age of increasing awareness of diversity, I love this name) shows considerable promise and already some considerable power.

Sail on!

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