Stars and the Underground are a New Zealand shoegaze/darkwave project first created by John Mason, (ex-Winterland) and John McDermott (ex-Headless Chickens), and have been joined by guest vocalist Hannah Berry (Talmar) for the new single “Echolocation.”
Angelic vocals drift up introducing us to Berry, her lilting utterances in complete contrast to the far deeper vocals of Mason. Actually, Mason sounds like he’s channelling Carl McCoy, and the lyrics speaking of second sight due to an all encompassing darkness, could just be the cherry on top. Darkness can feel like torture, yet it cannot stop these hearts from finding each other.
Imagine, if you will, that Fields of the Nephilim had incorporated early Sisters of Mercy, but had become a bit more whimsical, nor did they require the clattering Dr Avalanche (drum machine), as the live drummer (McDermott) is far more nuanced. That somewhat goes towards what “Echolocation” sounds like, but also has this joyful shoegaze sonic wall of sound, which is great if you a post-punk loving human, though possibly bad if you are a bat.
Echolocation Feat Hannah Berry (Talmar) – Single | Stars and the Underground
Onyx Music Reviews 