Greta Van Fleet’s long awaited new record Starcatcher is out now — here’s a rundown of the band and their latest release.
Formed in 2012, Greta Van Fleet has set the stage for the modern rock revival. Hailing from Frankenmuth, Michigan, the band began their rock and roll journey playing shows at small local venues in Detroit. Today, they are selling out huge venues across the globe. The group first gained popularity with their 2017 release of their debut EP Black Smoke Rising and double EP From the Fires. Since then, Greta Van Fleet has gained a massive fanbase, putting out three full length albums with over a million sales.
This past Friday, Greta Van Fleet released Starcatcher, their third studio album. The release of the new record has been highly anticipated after fans have waited over two years for new music from the band. With the singles “Meeting the Master,” “Sacred the Thread,” “Farewell for Now,” and “The Falling Sky” being released over the past few months, fans got an early look of what to expect for Starcatcher. The singles set the tone as they encapsulate what the rest of the album would sound like upon its release. Each song has unique charm, all whilst keeping consistent and correlating. Each of the four singles contain strong instrumentation, lyricism and vocals, upping the ante for the album release.
Starcatcher’s first track, Fate of the Faithful, starts the album off strong. The song begins with a harmonic organ solo that leads into a heavy guitar intro featuring guitarist Jake Kiszka’s classic and rich guitar tone. The nearly five minute long track sounds very similar to songs from their previous album, The Battle at Garden’s Gate, which makes “Fate of the Fateful” a familiar song to perfectly transition between the old and new album. As listeners get midway through Starcatcher, the tracks start to sound heavier. The song “Runway Blues,” with a run-time of just one minute and 16 seconds, sounds like a hard rock song straight out of the seventies. The track is reminiscent of Greta Van Fleet’s early songs, as it sounds inspired by classic rock. It’s fast, heavy and straight to the point, making it an enlivening change from the first four tracks on the album which are much calmer. Track six, “The Indigo Streak,” which follows after “Runway Blues,” contains a catchy guitar riff and poetic lyricism. The lyrics within are very enigmatic, as are the lyrics of many Greta Van Fleet songs. Starcatcher’s final track and third single, “Farewell for Now,” is a sentimental song written about the ability music has to gather so many people from different walks of life, as well as the disappointment of having to say farewell to the audience at the end of the night. It is a testament to the band’s endearment of their supporters and the passion Greta Van Fleet has for playing their music live.
Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher is a brilliant album that proves how far the band has come over the years. With its artistic lyricism and fierce instrumentation, the record truly is a work of art.
Listen to Starcatcher by Greta Van Fleet on Spotify, Youtube or Apple Music.
I’m a Houston based photographer who loves being around live music and all the creative people involved in the local music scene. I enjoy capturing performers and artists doing what they love and the essence of how live music makes people feel. When Im not behind the lens, I love trying new things and visiting new places.
