Aussie group Fire to the Stars impressed mightily a few months back with Made of Fire, recorded with producer Casey Rice (Liz Phair, Tortoise, the Dirty Three) and successfully capturing “glorious, cinematic melancholia, designed to simultaneously soothe and despair.” It succeeded nicely previously featured track “Wholesale Slaughter”, where haunting vocals (with a ghostly sorta Stevie Nicks tone) worked alongside deep guitars and resonance into the gorgeous rock-laden elegance, reminding as well of native legends The Church in the atmospherically gripping blend of jangle-rock, creeping folk, and all-out atmospheric awe.
The album’s self-titled cut is just as haunting, though with a more clangy guitar-driven sound initially that’s gradually accompanied by ghostly ambient murmurs and growing vocal unease. The arsenal is somewhat minimal compared to the developmental swell that is “Wholesale Slaughter” – as this effort stays constant throughout as opposed to increasing gradually. “Made of Fire” imposes a more ghostly presence, otherworldly in its beginning spirit-like tortured wordless backing croons and slight accompanying strings. It’s a memorable effort, for sure, from an overlooked release this year. Fully recommended to stream it in full below:
