A Look Back On | stellastarr* - Harmonies for the Haunted
Harmonies for the Haunted is the second full-length album from Stellastarr, an American band based in New York City while they were active. The album released back in September of 2005. Although the band has long since broken up, Harmonies for the Haunted remains one of my favorite albums of all time and it excellently displays the strengths of Stellastarr’s indie post-punk revival sound.
Harmonies for the Haunted as a whole features reverb laden instrumentals and soaring choruses featuring the deliberately theatrical vocals of Shawn Christensen. From the initial track, “Lost in Time”, the tone of the album is clear; this album is a bit bleak and features themes of heartbreak, loss and the feelings related to coping with those emotions. Throughout the album, bassist Amanda Tannen’s skills on bass and excellent backing vocals help fill out the album and give the music a richer texture.
In terms of standout tracks, “Lost in Time” and “On My Own” are absolutely heart wrenching mid-tempo songs while “Stay Entertained” and “Damn This Foolish Heart” serve as instrumentally heavier pieces that give the album a kick of energy. Perhaps the strongest triumph on Harmonies for the Haunted is the song “Love and Longing”; the song is a shining example of all of Stellastarr’s strengths, featuring deep and reflective lyrics, a masterfully theatrical vocal performance by Christensen and excellent bass and harmony work from Tannen - I wholeheartedly believe this song could still find its way onto contemporary indie rock playlists.
Overall, Harmonies for the Haunted is a stellar example of mid-2000’s indie rock and an excellent piece of work from Stellastarr. Although Stellastarr is long gone, the band left an excellent album behind for future listeners to find. I hope someone out there loves this album - and band - as much as I do.