Blue Stahli – Blue Stahli
Release Date: March 15, 2011
Label: FiXT
Website: http://www.bluestahli.com /
Review by: Debbi Baldwin
Better known as the other half of the Celldweller live show, the debut self-titled album from Blue Stahli has some rather large footsteps to follow in.
Bret, the driving force behind this solo project, hails from Detroit, Michigan, and with the production help of Celldweller’s Klayton, created something that he should definitely be proud of.
Coming from, in his own words, a background of ‘fetish burlesque troupes’ and ‘drag queen fronted punk bands’, you might expect the tracks to be disjointed and feature lots of competing genres, a sort of musical schizophrenia of just noise and confusion. However, the album could not be a more cohesive blend if it had taken all the essential components of a good album, put them together in a blender and then pressed the resulting liquid into a CD.
Opening track “ULTRAnumb†sounds like early Linkin Park with more of an edge (which in my opinion is a compliment, although some people may not see it the same way). Think more Hybrid Theory and less Transformers soundtrack.
Incessant hypnotic dance beats intertwined with pounding rock/metal rifts mean that there is never a dull moment, never the opportunity to switch off or for your mind to wander. Just when you feel as though you have reached a calming lull in proceedings, such as the melodic and surprisingly mellow “Throw Awayâ€, the beat kicks in again and you feel yourself helpless to do anything except be pulled along for the ride.
Bret’s music has already been heard worldwide many thousands if not millions of people, although many won’t have realised it. Having featured in trailers for Tron Legacy, The Final Destination and The Tourist, reality TV show Americas Next Top Model and in video game Dead Rising 2, it shows that Blue Stahli have a very adaptable sound without causing an offence to the ears.
Each song is as infectious and thought provoking as the last, engulfing you in a thick cloud of electro fog that I’d be happy to battle my way through for a long time. The all encompassing vocal range combined with anthemic songs and well thought out lyrics has made this one of the best debut albums I have heard in a long time, and will be a part of my music collection for a long time.
Tracklisting
1. Ultranumb 4:25
2. Scrape 4:46
3. Anti You 3:29
4. Doubt 3:58
5. Corner 4:52
6. Takedown 2:55
7. Kill Me Every Time 5:11
8. Throw Away 5:57
9. Metamorphosis 4:37
10. Give Me Everything You’ve Got 2:49
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