High Energy Debut
Relatively new to the music scene, DAIISTAR comes out swinging with a really strong effort. The self-described noise-pop collective will release their debut album on September 8 of this year, making for a high-spirited fall for all who choose to listen.
Based on the title of the album, as well as the band’s various press prior to its release, DAIISTAR’s goal was to create a collection of feel-good music that’s easily accessible and highly enjoyable. In the words of guitarist and vocalist Alex Capistran on the band’s bandcamp page, “These songs guided us through some dark times and hopefully they can do the same for you.” Like many other artists, both musical and otherwise, the respective members of the band were all affected by the events of the last few years and wound up surviving by doing what artists do best; creating. When listening to Good Time, the movement of your body to the music is almost involuntary. Each of the 10 tracks on the album are just as lively as the last and the band never deprives the listener of an early and exciting chorus. Through the catchy riffs of songs like “Say It To Me” and up-tempo drum beats on tracks like “Star Starter” and “Heathens Gate,” there are bound to be countless bedroom dance parties to the soundtrack of Good Time.
The quality of the album is certainly deeper than the good feelings you get while listening, despite that being its best quality. DAIISTAR harbors many desirable music qualities once the final product is inspected and stripped down to its elements. Right from the first track, the band lays out everything they plan to serve throughout the course of the ten-track dinner with the hearty appetizer that is “Star Starter.” Standout performances include a killer guitar hook from Capistran and an incredibly solid drum groove, complete with the addition of the tambourine by drummer Nick Cornetti. Beginning with “Star Starter” and continuing throughout the album is the band’s experimentation with dissonance and small doses of traditionally undesirable sounds, which never outstay their welcome, rather they make the listen much more interesting than it would’ve been in the first place. On other tracks, the very next being “LMN BB LMN,” as well as “Parallel,” dissonance is blended into the mix by utilizing drones that fluctuate in pitch ever so slightly in addition to the countless effects on Capistran’s guitar solo. Much of the noise that the band likes so much can be found in the synth parts from track to track, especially later in the album on “Speed Jesus,” with the main arpeggiated hook being strung throughout. By the final track, “Velvet Reality,” the synth has taken center stage for what seems like the slow dance of the party and the band plays out the rest with just as much energy as when they began.
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