You know how your mom always told you not to judge a book by its cover and you probably ignored her? That’s what happened to me with Three Star Seed. I saw the title of the EP, Paleo Pornstar, and all I could think about was the douche-bag at the mall with a PornStar t-shirt, so much gel in his hair that if he was to stand near an open flame his head would instantly be engulfed with flames. We all know that guy and I expected this EP to be about as deep as that guy would be. Thankfully I was wrong and maybe we really should listen to our parents when they tell us something.
The EP starts off with I’m On Fire which also appears to be the first single. As soon as the track started off I know that my 1st impression of this band was wrong. While the title of the EP says “Hey we are super fun and don’t really care what anyone thinks, we’re just here to get drunk” the music says “Actually, we are serious about what we are doing and would like other people to take us seriously as well”. All misconceptions aside, the issue with the EP’s title is mine and mine alone and the music speaks louder than an album cover or EP name ever could. I’m On Fire opens with a catchy guitar riff that gets your attention right away. When the vocals kick in the track has you hook, line and sinker. The chorus is ultra catchy and it’s going to get a lot of people to yell along when they play live.
And that’s the formula that follows across the EP’s 5 songs. The vocals are always strong, the musicianship is on point and the choruses are all as catchy as you can hope for within this genre. The second track, Cross The Line, is the weakest track for me as it’s the least memorable. Even after listening to this 3 or 4 times all the way through, everything stuck in my head with the exception of this track. The album picks up right after that track with Run With Me. This is by far my favorite track. It’s slowed down from the rest of the EP but this song did something for me that modern rock rarely does. It made me feel something. There is a certain pained tone with the vocals on the chorus that make you feel what he is feeling. That kind of stuff doesn’t happen with the majority of rock I hear on the radio, so that alone helps separate Three Star Seed from what a lot of their peers are doing.
The EP finishes with two strong songs. Caroline is another song along the lines of I’m On Fire. Catchy as hell and it sticks in your head. The last track, Who, is almost as strong as Run With Me. The track is more heartfelt that most of what you find in the modern rock world and that’s a good thing. The one let down of their work is its relative lack of originality. It has been said that it’s better to be good than original, but if Three Star Seed can add something to their sound that separates them from a countless number of other bands in the genre, they might really have something special. As they stand now, they are a good band that is playing rock music better than many of their more famous (and less talented) peers. If you like modern rock this is something you should hear. It feels deeper than anything you get off the radio and the songs will be stuck in your head whether you like it or not. I look forward to seeing what these guys can do on a full length. Hope I don’t have to wait too long.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kyle I'm a self taught musician of nearly 20 years and I'm proud to say that music encompasses my life. I'm just a simple guy that loves music and who is constantly searching for new music to feed his musical vices!
