“And now I see, how to leave painlessly.”
Moodring, a band hailing from Orlando, Florida, has stormed the scene and after joining UNFD in summer of 2021. Stargazer will be the outfit’s debut full-length release, following on from last year’s showmetherealyou EP, which was a mesmerising debut record which firmly caught the attention of many. The band prides itself on the lack of restrictions placed upon them, as evidenced by the name Moodring. This album is a reflection of that artistic freedom to do and be as they please.
Stargazer is a gorgeous, well formed album that shows off the band’s range. It’s atmospheric, with such dreaminess in “Disintegrate” and the title track “Stargazer”. The reverb laced guitars blending with Young’s celestial vocals to create its floating atmosphere. This is contrasted with the heavy riffs and breakdowns on tracks such as “Constrict” and “Sync.wav.”, with the latter having a delicious baseline and sensual lyricism, “Where do I begin and where’s your body end?“.
The secret jewel, in my humble opinion, being “N.I.K.E.” This in with some R&B-esque grooviness that was truly unexpected, but very much so appreciated. It oozes swagger and holds a unique ambience on the record, with an underlying aggression that feels like it could burst at any moment. In the words of vocalist Hunter Young, it’s “Sade meets Nine Inch Nails”. Earlier track “Peel” is brimming with with gorgeous vocal hooks and melodies, “So when you peel me back, just keep me in tact.”, opens the chorus before opening up into lyricism that will soon have you singing along. With it comes upbeat and enthusiastic guitar, which is both fresh and current while feeling reminiscent of early 90s/00s pop-rock.
Stargazer pays homage to the band’s various influences. There is a reason for the comparisons to such heavy hitters as Deftones and Glassjaw, but make no mistake – this album is all Moodring. An album with it all; spectacular vocals, punchy riffs and an firmly unique atmosphere. The pacing and placement of the tracks is impossible to fault and all this comes with some great production. As Stargazer closes out with “Xeno (Foreign Love)” with another excellent vocal melody, the record cements itself as a debut to be proud of and one to return to time and time again.
8.5/10
Stargazer will release this Friday, June 10th via UNFD. You can find pre-orders for the record, here.