Utah-based indie rock band the Starkillers recently released their third single, the effervescent “Here With You”. If their future work is up to the level of this song, it’s safe to say they have a very bright future ahead of them.
The first thing that immediately stands out is the surprisingly excellent quality of the mix. One thing that holds many new artists back is that their inexperience often shows in the production, whether it’s a lack of dynamics or an overcompressed miasma of mush. Thankfully, that’s not the case here…”Here With You” is an absolute delight to hear on headphones, especially in regards to the panning. The snare fill that starts around the 3-minute mark is an especially nice touch.
So how is the song itself, you may ask? In a word…stunning. Frontman Jon Omen’s vocals range from yearning to strident and fit in perfectly in the aforementioned excellent mix. The band’s website lists bands such as Foster the People and Walk the Moon as influences; the latter especially rings true…picture “Shut Up and Dance” if it was covered by Kings of Leon, and you got the level of excellence we have here. The best part is, the emotion feels *genuine* and sincere, which is something that takes many artists years to be able to articulate (if ever). These folks nailed it.
After the over-produced mess that passed for music in the late 2010s, hearing a great song with lush production and excellent use of dynamics is an unexpected treat. Come to think of it, music has been heading in this direction since the beginning of the pandemic. If this continues, expect bands like the Starkillers to be leading the way. If they continue to release excellent work like this, we’re all in for a treat. Bravo, guys!
You can listen to “Here With You” on Spotify below:
You can check out Starkillers' website here:
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