Stepping out of their comfort zone to bring their audience something new, I See Stars has released their unplugged album, Phases. For the electronicore band to release such raw sound, opposed to the mixture of EDM and heavy instrumentals, is truly a form of growth. Who would’ve thought breakdowns would turn into cello playing and Devin Oliver substantially hitting every high note without auto tune.
“Murder Mitten,” which is the lead single off the album, served as the “sneak peek” of the album due to it’s prior release. It also serves as the most emotional and strongest track. It begins with an intense piano introduction, followed by the melodic cello. But the most prominent element of the track has to be both Devin and Andrew Oliver’s vocals. So much emotion is felt through the genuineness of their singing. There’s no voice altering or excess autotune; it’s pure. Instead of heavy breakdowns, the cello and piano grow stronger with passion along with Devin Oliver becoming powerful in his singing. He pushes his voice so emotionally, holding it off while his brother compliments his voice with his mellow sound.
Aside from I See Star’s acoustic versions of their own songs, the album also has covers from other artists. Originally performed by the indie band Daughter, “Youth” was not successfully lived up to it’s full potential. Elena Tonra, the lead vocalist of Daughter, has a more mellow feeling sound to her voice, while Devin’s is too high pitched. It seems as if he tried to be more subtle while singing, but did not fully achieve the sound he was going for. The instrumentals slightly match the original, but it’s still a bit too high. Yes, covers are meant to be done by another artist in their own way, but in cases like these, it doesn’t work out well.
With the exception of one song, Phases is definitely an album worth giving a chance. It’s fresh and it’s different from 2005 I See Stars. From the emotion felt through the singing, to the passion heard through cellos and guitars, each track is sure to get you singing your heart out.
