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The Fashion Focus

It sure was weird hearing the keyboard strings from the start of the very first track, and the occasional Beach Boy vocal added to it. If walls of guitars are the reason you like this band, Jason Martin & Co. have a little surprise for you. Starflyer has always had a way of taking something otherwise mellow, and crunching it together with rock & roll to concoct their own brand of music. And they've also had a way of doing each record just differently enough from the last to avoid listener complacency. Soft and relaxing could be the critic's summation if he/she looked no further than the muffled, plodding drums, acoustic guitars, and slow tempos. The Fashion Focus has "vibe" written all over it, suitable for a long highway in the old Dodge or an apartment on a rainy day, and lyrically, Martin's thoughtful musings contain some deep awareness. I can easily imagine him coming up with the words to "I Drive a Lot" while easing the day-job truck down the pike. I like this album, but with my love for heavy guitars, it's taken an open mind. [Tooth&Nail/ Brian Vincent McGovern]