Larger than life, Under Starling open with a roar on Portals that never quite fails to capture a first time listener into their glistening world of alternative rock soundscapes. Loaded with reverb brimming riffs, every song feels utterly seismic, euphoric, and immense. The Irish rock outfit draw inspiration from a myriad of sources, but Biffy Clyro doesn’t ring true closer to any other immediate comparison to me. That isn’t to say that there’s a whole lot of similarities going on besides a general mood and aesthetic really. Under Starling make rock music that’s effortlessly easy to listen to. The melodies wouldn’t be out of place in a mainstream pop song. What they’ve done is marry the largeness and rawness of a true band rock arrangement with the sheer lusciousness and pleasure of pop to create a new and unique style of pop rock that thrives in its ability to engage and connect with the audience.
From the sheer scale of the opener in Canopies to the build up on Nazare, it didn’t take long for me to convert to a fan of this ever so exciting outfit. “Portals” is a sheer delight of an EP that draws inspiration from the breathtaking landscape of the Burren. This four song collection of four takes you down a powerful and epic journey that crosses over themes of self-reflection, hope, love, lust, heartbreak, and loss. Blending vintage styles with contemporary approaches, the end result is so resplendently fresh and exciting that you can’t help but cry each song out loud as they come barreling through.
There’s a clear flow to it as well, with each track sort of building and graduating into the other. It’s on Eros, particularly the final minute of that song, that you really start to feel the emotional dagger that Under Starling are capable of cutting you with.
This is a record that’s epic, that’s fun, and that’s downright infectious. Rock music that’s fresh and emotional, Under Starling are bound to make waves.