Starfield Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
After a brief foray into crunchy, performance-based alterna-rock, Canadian pop/rock foursome Starfield returned to the ways of their self-titled debut with I Will Go, their third Sparrow Records set. Perhaps aware that the Switchfoot-like escapades of its sophomore album weren't their forte, the band readily resumed what comes most naturally to them, namely, pop/rock-based modern worship in the vein of Hillsong United or Desperation Band. Unlike those groups, though, Starfield is a studio band, which explains why their take on modern worship tends to come across as a lite, more processed version of their peers -- nothing like the thundering praise sessions of other youthful acts that thrive in a live setting. For proof, there's no better barometer than the group's take on "Hosanna," one of the biggest Hillsong anthems of the new millennium: Starfield's take is faster, chipper, less solemn -- a truncated, radio-geared rendition whose intensity pales next to the original. Elsewhere, the hooks are there -- singable rockers like "Reign in Us" and "Remain" work in corporate context -- but just about everything else, while serviceable, doesn't quite pack the same punch that teenaged worshippers have grown to appreciate in more electric, euphoric praise ensembles. Worse yet, Starfield seems to underestimate their target audience right down to lyricism, offering a cornucopia of lines and choruses drawn straight from the most cited pages of the worship playbook. Like post-Jeff Deyo Sonicflood, Starfield needs to kick up the decibel and intensity level up a notch if they are to remain relevant with iPod-savvy parishioners. ~ Andree Farias, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Beauty in the Broken is still a praise & worship version of alterna-CCM. These (really) young men write gorgeously crafted songs, perfect for use in a modern church, and for being embraced by anyone who isn't afraid of their message. Granted, not all the lyrics are profound, but they are working in a particular medium and they're not supposed to be. Emo kids would dig the hooks -- though the production is hardly lo-fi (Sufjan Stevens this ain't!); U2 fans will dig the guitar sounds; and of course, those kids into CCM will flip their wigs for this. Musically, Beauty in the Broken isn't a sophisticated album so much as it is big and in-your-face modern rock. And it's honest; it's rapturous in all the right ways. These guys aren't wry or clever about their sentiments and are not afraid to show where they stand. They shout it from the rooftops, but they do it in songs that are disciplined and conscious of dynamics and texture. Where producer Matt Bronleewe brought them into the world on their last outing, it's Ed Cash who takes them to the next level. Bronleewe worked on three cuts here, and it's not clear if they were left over from the last album or they're new, but it hardly matters because Beauty in the Broken feels of a piece. There are some standout cuts, and the awfully titled "Everything Is Beautiful" is a crunchy roaring testament of love receiving and offering back God's love. "Captivate" is a midtempo rocker that is also a gorgeous prayer of brokenness and surrender -- the Neufeld brothers are fine singers and they emote purely, without artifice or forced drama. The acoustically based "Son of God" is simply weak. It may work in church, but it doesn't work as a rock & roll song. "Great Is the Lord" is as mighty as its title. It comes out of the box roaring and careening in barely controlled dynamic tension; it walks back from the edge a little in the verse but jumps over it in the bridge. This is what good anthemic rock & roll music should do, no matter the genre. The set ends with "Shipwreck," an atmospheric midtempo rocker with a fine melody and gorgeous vocals. Starfield aren't quite there yet; there are some duds here. It hardly matters. They've moved up a couple of notches from a worthy debut. In the wonderful days of rock & roll's golden age, when the major labels were not a couple of companies that controlled them all, A&R departments developed an artist over three or four albums before they worried about regaining their investment in them. These kids will no doubt get there -- there is simply too much talent for them not to. While one hopes they step outside the praise & worship ghetto and stretch out, they seem to like being there for now. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Starfield is a young band from Canada named after countryman Bruce Cockburn's classic tome "Lord of the Starfields." The band plays an infectious, hook-laden, atmospherically adventurous brand of alternative CCM rock that transcends the (sometimes justified) prejudices toward its genre. While they seem to be regarded among their peers as a "worship" band, they stretch that subcategory to the breaking point and annihilate it with carefully crafted songs that are vulnerable, honest, and -- while unquestionably rooted in Christian faith -- never go for easy or hollow platitudes. The members of Starfield created and tested their sound over a couple of years playing churches and festivals and on two independently issued releases before getting to EMI. Producer Matt Bronleewe (Jars of Clay, Natalie Imbruglia) crafted a lush soundscape with the band's rooted twin guitar, bass, and drum sound, augmenting the core instruments with keyboards and strings in places without losing any of the quartet's rock & roll punch. Tim and Jon Neufeld write worship songs that are deeply personal; they come from the quiet spaces, from the places we hide and nurture inside ourselves, and they spill over as raw need and a blatant, poetic willingness to transcend. When Tim Neufeld sings, "I'm desperate to know you Lord" over a swirling batch of strings and dreamy acoustic guitars on "Over My Head," he sings over his doubt and desolation as well. He understands the trappings of life in the physical realm and knows that while on the planet, he cannot escape them either. He finds the crack in his own heart where the great kabod in the Hebrew scriptures, the "glory" of God, becomes something unmistakable yet incomprehensible. And it breaks down all logical notions of shame, blame, hatred, and indifference and replaces them with an unspeakable mercy. Earlier, on "Love Break Me," as acoustic guitars shimmer and slip, Jon's electric fills in the lyric as it speaks of a submission to divine love so pure and full it cracks the heart of the singer and opens him to say "yes" to whatever comes next. The emotion in Tim's vocal is not desperate; it is ecstatic, and the words fall from his mouth like clear water running in a cold brook. Ultimately, Starfield is an album that, because of the awkwardness of its vulnerability and the beauty of its craft, stands on its own as an honest expression of faith and perceived truth, and invites listeners to know of what it speaks rather than beating them over the head with it. Recommended. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
