Insight & Critique
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

Thom Kunz & Whitney Pearsall - Stars in the Black and Blue

7/28/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Thom Kunz & Whitney Pearsall

Stars in the Black and Blue
self-released; 2016

3.7 out of 5

By Ted Rogen
​
Hailing from Wilmington, NC, Thom Kunz & Whitney Pearsall's recent release Stars in the Black and Blue mixes folk, rock and country with an ethereal quality. It’s not that surprising when you take a glance at the cover art which I presume is Thom Kunz & Whitney Pearsall staring at the most epic view of space. 

​
Stars in the Black and Blue is a concept album. According to the band, “One side’s songs focuses on relationships — family and friends and the good and the bad therein, and Side B is a narrative called “The Black & Blue Suite,” which explores the emotional inner space colliding with the unexplained outer space, sort of romantic love beyond the world we know, or think we know.” The dichotomy isn’t all that obvious if you weren’t told and I think that works in their favor. Any way you cut it there is no denying that the album has a cohesive feel to all ten songs. 

I’m not sure exactly how all the musical duties were split up but Pearsall handles the vocal duties. You won’t be disappointed. She has a powerful voice which reminded me of a couple of female singers from the ’70s. Stevie Nicks came to mind. 

The band opens with “Perfectly Shattered” which immediately goes for epic. It’s a song that slowly builds and builds with intensity. Synths swirl, organs ring and much more as the song progresses. 

Up next is “Cold Moon” which is also quite big sounding while also interweaving a country vibe. The formula of starting off small and building to something huge remans for a majority of the songs. “On Your Side,” “Veins Of Stone” and “Stars in the Black and Blue” all lead to crescendos towards the end of the song. Luckily, the duo throws in a song like “Gentle Breeze” which adds to the band's versatility. I also appreciated the atmospheric track “The Apastron Reprise.”

Overall, Stars in the Black and Blue contains lush, expansive instrumentation and top notch vocal work. As I mentioned the songs are pretty epic and certainly seem to have a time and place. Perhaps staring at the stars on a clear night.
official website
Tweet
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by divideanconqer
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
Book Your Band

© Divide and Conquer 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact