ECHO PARK, CA- A real pleasant surprise at at Swimm’s Love You Down Fest was the fresh and youthful indie pop of Emerson Star. Their songs are melodic, their lyrics are plainspoken, and their harmonies and subtly radiant.
There was certain spirit in their music that particularly appealed to me. Perhaps it was the the band member’s camaraderie that really shone through to accentuate the music’s pop sensibilities. That kind of stuff makes a difference. The way each player interacts with each other, feeding off of the vibe of another. Based in Los Angeles, Emerson Star began as a three piece acoustic group consisting of two brothers (Shannon and Taylor Inouye) and one childhood friend (Sean Thomas). By the time they started playing in a band together, they decided on the name Emerson Star because they went to Emerson elementary and the mascots were “The Stars”. They rounded out the band with Garret Lang (bass) and Colin Fahrner (drums)
There’s a classic feel to their modern sound. It reminds me of some of the power pop bands of the mid-70’s, and had me thinking about about another “star” band, Big Star.
Now, perhaps I need to have a closer listen to Emerson Star’s music, and I could be totally be off base with my comparison, but the the guitar work and harmonies immersed in melodic pop rock compositions had me feeling some of those Big Star vibes, and that ain’t a bad thing.
I don’t know what these guys have planned for 2018, but all I know is that the three songs that have up on Spotify and Soundcloud just isn’t enough for me. I need more music! Hopefully, they keep dropping more tracks soon.
Follow Emerson Star on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
LIVE CLIPS
Emerson Star at The Echo 2/2/18. Review and photos coming soon to @BlurredCulture. pic.twitter.com/XhXVHrDLZm
— Derrick K. Lee (@methodman13) February 21, 2018
Emerson Star at The Echo 2/2/18. Review and photos coming soon to @BlurredCulture. pic.twitter.com/dKV4b3PVsK
— Derrick K. Lee (@methodman13) February 21, 2018
