Stellar Kart Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
One of the anticipated miracles to which the album title may have referred was the very survival of Christian "punk-pop/rock," Stellar Kart's sound of choice. The genre had become a tough sell by 2008; fellow punk pioneers Relient K, for instance, were relying on a continual reinvention to remain relevant even in the eyes of their most devoted fans. With the initial appeal of "speed rock" long gone, Adam Agee and the rest of the Stellar Kart crew looked to change their formula only slightly for their third release. Producer Ian Eskelin's m.o. was to "meet listeners where they are," i.e., broaden their sound to appeal to a larger fan base. Their degree of success depends on the listener's taste for punk-pop. The quality of Stellar Kart's craft has never been in doubt, as they proved once again their ability to churn out three-minute power-chord gems. A lack of greater depth and diversity, however, limited the band from truly breaking out on this album. By "varying their sound," they apparently meant adding stabs of synth atop the crunchy guitars and occasionally slowing down the tempo. It worked well, thanks to that same peppy charm that catapulted Good Charlotte and the All-American Rejects to the forefront. Unlike their secular counterparts, however, Stellar Kart had a substantive message to back up their studio optimism, rounding out the album with impressive calls to action on tunes like "Pray" and "Automatic." However long punk-pop would remain viable after its release, Expect the Impossible seemed to embody the best qualities of the genre. ~ Jared Johnson, All Music Guide
'We Can't Stand Sitting Down'
Release Date 7/25/2006
Tracks 14
Label Word Entertainment
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What The Critics Say
How poppy does a pop-punk band have to get before you drop the "punk" designation altogether and start calling them something else? And what if, despite a complete lack of aggro attitude, they're still so speedy and crunchy that the word "pop" alone doesn't really work, and the term "power pop" makes you think inappropriately of middle-aged men with shag haircuts? Maybe this is speed-pop, then, or something like that. Call the music what you will; what matters is that Stellar Kart serves up candy-coated hooks, sweet harmonies and satisfyingly crunchy guitars at roughly the speed of a well-tuned Porsche, and anyone who doesn't have a constitutional intolerance for expressions of Christian faith is likely to find the band's sophomore effort pretty much irresistible. Of this album's 12 songs (there's a hidden 13th track as well, a not-particularly-memorable remix of "Hold On"), there's an indication that more than half can be described as "a bracing blast of speed-pop hookiness," with some ("I'm Pretty Good," "Procrastinating") being especially bracing and speedy. When they take it down a little bit they deliver praise anthems ("Angels in Chorus") and something that comes perilously close to being a pop-punk polka ("Always Waiting"). And, as always, when they start trying to actually write in the voice of God ("Hold On") things get just a bit creepy and uncomfortable. Skip over track five, though, and you've got a solid half hour of pure pop bliss. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'All Gas. No Brake.'
Release Date 1/1/2005
Tracks 11
Label Word Entertainment
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