Feel It Comin’ On, the new single and video from Star Collector is not your average 3-minute pop song. It clocks in at 4 minutes and 45 seconds, closer to 5 minutes than 3. I am glad Star Collector busted out of that stereotype; it leaves almost two bonus minutes for the band to find a groove and work it out. And that is what they do.

Feel It Comin’ On opens with 25 seconds of blistering rock and roll to claim a beachhead for the rest of the album, which is appropriately named, Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat. The opening track, Feel It Comin’ On, hit all of those targets as I listened. It attacks, not just the opening minute; it sustains the attack and only decays in the last 25 seconds. And then I hit repeat, and we do it all over again, Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat.

The title of this new Star Collector album, Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat is a tribute to a pedal board.

Attack

Sustain

Decay

Repeat

I’m more of a Distort, Distort, Distort, Distort, Modulation, Chorus, Wah-Wah player type of guy, but that’s just me. To each their own. Whether it’s Vic’s or Steve’s pedal board, they own that sound, and it works its magic to give us the whole palette of guitar on the album Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat. 

Star Collector has been on my radar for over a year. I gave a favourable review of their previous album, Game Day, and later a show at The Station on Jasper, a local watering hole and live music venue that has unfortunately gone out of business.

Star Collector is fronted by Vic Wayne, who contributes lead vocals, rhythm & acoustic guitars and percussion to the album. Multitalented indeed. Pardon this next bit, I’m a bit of a geared. Vic has two guitars that I know of, they are a Gretsch and a Rickenbacker. Steve Monteith contributes lead, rhythm & slide guitars and background vocals. He was playing an Arline Twin Tone DLX when we saw them live.

Tony Kerr plays a lovely Rickenbaker bass as well as a Fender Jazz Bass. Along with Adrian Buckley on various percussion instruments, they keep time for everyone, and their flourishes add to the overarching sound of Star Collector. Guest appearances include Adam East on bass and background vocals, Kevin Kane (The Grapes of Wrath), Paul Myers (musician and author of ‘Go All The Way – A Literary Appreciation of Power Pop) and more.

Track one is the previously mentioned song Feel It Comin’ On. Track two is the hook-friendly Beat It To Death. Track three has the title, The Back Of Your Head, which made my music radar go off. Another song with that title appeared on the self-titled album The Electrics. However, the similarity stops at the title.

Skipping a few songs, I came to a line that caught my eye. It’s in the song Black And Blue Baby. “it’s never too late to start again.”

It’s never too late to start playing guitar again.

It’s never too late to exercise more.

It’s never too late to make amends for wrongs done in the past.

It’s never too late to…

Jumping over the track If We Can’t Take A Joke, we hear the song Crashin‘, it opens with the beat of a cowbell. There’s never too much cowbell. Check out the SNL skit for that famous line.

The remainder of the album is classic rock with one track being the obligatory soft ballad, Cross My Heart. Cross My Heart refers to the Neil Young song Tonight’s The Night and Rod Stewart‘s song of the same name. Neil Young‘s version is a mid-tempo rock number that is memorable because he sings the refrain Tonight’s The Night 30 times. Rod Stewart‘s take on the line Tonight’s The Night is creepy because it sounds like date rape. Check out the lyrics as it plays. https://genius.com/Rod-stewart-tonights-the-night-gonna-be-alright-lyrics

Back to Star Collector, in 2021, they released Game Day, a solid rock album I endorsed back then and still do. In 2023 they release Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat it builds on the momentum of Game Day without losing a beat. Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat is not a clone of Game Day. It is a new album with new music and new lyrics. I endorse Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat. It is a good listening experience and a novel album name. Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat contains 12 solid songs to keep you entertained for close to an hour.

Stuck in traffic? Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat

Out for a walk? Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat

Working on a blog to post? Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat

Doing housework? Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat

Entertaining friends? Attack, Sustain, Decay… Repeat

You too can enjoy this album, check it out at Bandcamp.

https://starcollectorcanada.bandcamp.com/album/attack-sustain-decay-repeat