Starr Faithfull’s third CD Delusions Of Grandeur is a hard rock masterpiece. Many fine nuances get layered around one another with tasteful applications of the talent in this trio. Starr Faithfull also keeps it fresher and more current than ever. Influences show up here and there but Delusions Of Grandeur is their own sound.
After an electric piano melody, Starr Faithfull, the trio of lead vocalist/guitarist Jodee Frawlee, bass player Geoff Kornfeld, and drummer Aj Vallee jump right into their usual high octane level musicianship. Frawlee’s lead vocal, at once aggressive and fetching, finds its proper place to rock out. When it is her turn to let loose, Frawlee’s voice is pure energy traveling down the verses and choruses with the force of a mighty rollercoaster.
Frawlee’s guitar work here is quite dynamic too. Her chords around the chorus are rocking, catchy, giving the song extra lift. “Invitation” features Frawlee’s forceful, precise guitar leads She puts out a lot of voltage vocally too. While Frawlee rips it up on guitar, bass player Geoff Kornfeld pushes it along with his low end momentum. Kornfeld can be aggressive in his tempo and tone while playing it in a smooth match up with Frawlee’s speedy guitar phrases.
“Have Mercy” lets the rhythm section of Kornfeld and drummer Aj Vallee pump up the groove with very palpable notes. They have a funky interval going on that frees Frawlee to pay out some spiraling melodic phrases.
Drummer Vallee is a concoction of finesse and power. He can probably play lighter material with as much dexterity. But Starr Faithfull is a power rock trio that gives him an outlet for his tremendous energy. He keeps it intense while interjecting subtle, tasteful nuances that create much in the colors and tones.
Frawlee let’s someone have it on “I Break Down,” her descriptive, emotive slap shot at somebody who has seriously irked her. She points the finger right at a ruthless misogynist and this song musically hits that person like an adept punch in the face. Frawlee’s brief vocal solo and feisty phrasing combined with twisty rhythms really give some creep a working over.
“Bullet” jumps out of the gate with an urgency and immediacy that informs you that, as songwriter, Frawlee wants to waste no time getting to her slamming chorus and frenetic guitar solo. You can also hear best on this song the level of sonic polish producer Anthony J. Resta reaches in his studio. Frawlee’s voice is perfectly clean, bright, you can’t miss her purr, and the instruments give off ever nuance imaginable.
Mellow, lyric-driven, Beatles-influenced, “God’s Little Joke” is Frawlee’s existential examination of herself as a creature in a large world full of driving forces that impact her daily. Her breathy, pretty voice, thoughtful lyrics, and subtle blend of melodies make this one a gentle, playful winner. The ride out portion has a hint of Brian May in the guitar phrasing, yet Frawlee takes that Queen influence into her own realm of style and technique.
“Bleed” kicks things back into high gear. Frawlee makes her guitar sing out its shiny notes when she plays them high, uptempo. Kornfeld’s bass and Vallee’s drums pound out their own steady intensity. Pristine guitar notes seem to dance around the surface of low end. This is just a really cool hard rock song. Actually, power pop might be a better label. Starr Faithfull always were a little bit difficult to put a label on.
The last official song on Delusions Of Grandeur is “Goodbye,” a farewell song that finds Frawlee’s fetching vocal stretching itself smoothly over emotive picking and feisty chords. Her voice purrs beautifully over the power pop trappings underneath. The disc actually closes with “Wonder Woman 420,” a full band interpretation of the previous “Wonder Woman.” This ending piece is loaded with Frawlee’s balance of edginess and gentleness in her guitar work. The sound she gets going on is really cool and Anthony J. Resta also shows his knowledge of lush sounds capes on this piece.
Delusions Of Grandeur is another step up for Starr Faithfull and their favorite producer Anthony J. Resta. The musicianship is top notch and the recording is masterful. Serious listeners will spend many hours listening to these tracks to pick up on more of the nuanced qualities within.