Starling Electric

Clouded Staircase (Bar/None)

By Jenny An
Published: August 20th, 2008 | 9:00am

Growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I spent many nights during my high school years going to Starling Electric shows. There were a handful of bands that us Ann Arborites proudly called our own, and Starling Electric's appeal was obvious — catchy, melodic tunes and just enough weirdness from the multitude of unorthodox instruments to keep things interesting. From the band member's dapper ensembles to choreographed shows, they were town sweethearts.

First recorded in 2006, the 18 tracks of Clouded Staircase exhibit Starling’s ‘60s/‘70s pop sound that has been compared to Guided by Voices. These short but tightly structured tunes — most clocking in at under three minutes — wander back and forth from retro-pop gems to forgettable adult contemporary radio jams. Starling is at its best when sticking to its influences. “Prince Of the Puff Of Smoke” and “New Era” have the layered vocals and the stop-go strumming of those songs once only made on vinyl. They are bop-your-head fun and end just after two minutes — just before they lose their kitsch charm.

The one standout where Starling Electric doesn’t just mime (great) artists of the past is “Camp-Fire.” Their influences are obvious from the first notes sung (the track opens with a harmonizing chorus of “Ooo la / Ooo la / Ooo la la”), but steady synth steps in to spice up and update the track. Singer-songwriter Caleb Dillon’s vocals also take a turn toward jazz — to great effect. Quirky sound effects like a ringing phone keep things interesting while the percussion remains steadfast. The track is also less straightforward (with lots of volume play) than most others on Clouded Staircase. It’s a recognizable core, but the auxiliary touches update and improve on that formula.

“To Flunker, With Love” has all the chord changes of a soft rock smash single. Simple guitar and bass arrangements are paired with overly exuberant drumming while Dillon sings cheesy lines like, “It’s not a dream / It’s only us” in an alt-country baritone. The track's ‘90s sound lacks any real freshness. Starling Electric may have been a big deal in Ann Arbor, but they lack the ingenuity (at least on Clouded Staircase) to really make a mark. Their tunes are nice, but most of the time, nice is just not good enough.

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