Straylight Run - "Buttoned Down" (2007)

By now, most people who keep up with current music have heard the story of Straylight Run. The band started in 2003 when John Nolan, then guitarist and backup vocalist for Taking Back Sunday, left the band, taking with him bassist Shaun Cooper. Much ado was made online about the reasons behind the dissolution of TBS, but I think in the end it just came down to the fact that Nolan wanted to go in a different direction musically. Now four years later, Taking Back Sunday have released two successful albums which are great in their own right, and Nolan has been able to explore his musical freedoms as front man of Straylight Run. On their 2004 self-titled debut Straylight Run seemed to be making a conscious effort not to sound like TBS and they didn’t. That album was full of driving piano rock ballads like “Existentialism On Prom Night,” which had a great melody and insightful lyrics. On their 2005 EP Prepare To Be Wrong, Straylight Run released a somewhat mismatched collection of songs, ranging from slow, dreamy ballads (“I Don’t Want This Anymore”) to hard driving rock unlike anything they had done before (“Hands In the Sky”). Given the range of the EP it was hard to know what to expect from their sophomore effort The Needles The Space. I know this album has gotten a lot of praise in some media outlets and in the user reviews on Amazon, but I feel like Straylight Run just tried a little too hard on this record to be some kind of indie sensation. I think they threw in random odd instruments just for the sake of weirdness. The piano that dominated Straylight Run, is mostly absent or buried in the mix. Also, while I think Michelle Nolan has an excellent voice, Straylight Run are at their best when her brother is doing the singing. She just has too much of a presence on this record for my taste. Now all of this isn’t to say that The Needles The Space is a total loss. There are a few bright spots. “Soon We’ll Be Living In the Future” is the lead single and probably the catchiest song on the record. It’s based heavily around the acoustic guitar and various percussion instruments. I think today’s song makes the best use of John and Michelle’s voices together. He sings lead and she backs him up quite well. This song is mostly acoustic guitar and it has a strong hook. I’m not saying don’t buy The Needles The Space, I’m just saying don’t expect it to sound like their previous work. I consider this album to be Straylight Run exploring their possibilities as a band. Maybe next time around they’ll be a little more focused, but whatever the case I’ll still be listening in to see what they come up with.


Straylight Run - "Buttoned Down"