Welcome to the Boolin Tunes Staff Spotlight, a special segment on the site in which we dive deep into a classic or simply personally beloved album to shine a light on releases that we feel deserve a second glance. This is the second of a special two-part Staff Spotlight feature this week, for the first part on the group’s previous album New Demons, click here.
Two years after releasing the standout New Demons, I See Stars dropped a collection of acoustic iterations of previously released songs and covers on the album Phases. While reworkings of previous material was no surprise from the band, the complete absence of founding band members Zach Johnson (unclean vocals) and Jimmy Gregerson (rhythm guitar) led to questions about the band’s future. Was Phases indicative of their future sound, and would they still be able to capture the exciting metalcore-electronic blend on New Demons?
After enlisting Luke Holland as a drummer, I See Stars answered any shadow of doubt with their most complete release to date in Treehouse. The album proves an excellent example of addition by subtraction, with tighter compositions and more purposeful song structure. They’ve done away with the more slapdash nature of their previous material in favor of logical progressions while still retaining a unique style.
One such example, the opener, “Calm Snow”, enters with Devin Oliver almost at a whisper, building throughout the first verse. Then the chorus emerges:
We’re watching things unravel slowly
You’re just trying to get away from yourself
It’s obvious you’re speaking in languages I can’t read
You just hide and confide in someone else
Within two and a half minutes, the band establishes the dynamics they’ve been known for. At the same time, they’re able to show more control and restraint, rewarding the listener for their patience throughout. Admittedly, some moments may appear questionable at first, like the initial electronic breakdown in “Break”, or the rapped segments in “All In”. However, the band uses the “Chekov’s Gun” principle to ensure an element, once introduced, matters to build the song overall.
Even one of the album’s least-loved tracks, the instrumental “Walking on Gravestones”, manages to set out in its own lane.
Eschewing expectations completely, this song is much greater than an interlude; it represents the boundaries the band previously set for themselves that they are now confidently bashing through. Never before have they been able to balance their core genres with so much clarity and confidence.
The band’s newfound mastery of their craft culminates in the albums greatest achievement in “Light in the Cave”:
I’m holding on by the tips of my fingers
I’m not afraid of the fall
The only thought that the silence triggers
Is the time I went wrong
Oh, I know I made a fool of us all
I’m sorry, so sorry, I’m not sorry at all
Perhaps guilty of suspect lyricism in the past, Treehouse cleanses the band of any sins in this realm. Instead, they’re creating relatable and visceral anthems enjoyable by a wide audience. I’ve made a lot about the strength of this album’s crescendos from verse to chorus, and this song provides arguably the strongest example from their strongest album thus far.
I See Stars never failed to create innovative and interesting music, previously peaking with the exciting New Demons. A great album in its own right, New Demons is stuffed full of endlessly-listenable electronicore jams. However, to my ears, it merely provided a preview of what the band could do given a chance to trim the fat and tweak their sound to their strengths. With a new album in the works, we here at Boolin Tunes are stoked to hear what will come next. I hope you can find some time to give their last two albums a listen in anticipation.
Otherwise, we’ll look to see you next Sunday for another retrospective from our team.