Review Summary: Staring Into Nothing set their priorities on "Power"
“To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit
and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history,
but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
-Barack Obama
In a time of such societal hardship it’s important we cling to the values and morality set by individuals who value but not abuse their sense of power. The ineffable strength of our government to create and sustain control through its, often times, unethical methodology still alludes much of the world today. We find ourselves shutting out the need for reparation in our current climate and instead result to turning a blind eye to it all.
On Power, we find that Staring Into Nothing seeks to be among those who not only educate, but also inspire a world of listeners to reach further into their sense of existence and provoke change. Though the progressive rock group’s attempts at grandiose messages with technical song structure don’t always reach the heights they hope to achieve, there’s virtuosity. There’s a need and a desire for preservation of societal standards to be upheld and that’s where the charm in this record stems from. There’s plenty of instrumental prowess on display here but the primary focus is not only on musicality but morality and a presentation of beliefs. Are we given vocals that will astound and bewilder the listener? Are we given off-the-wall ideas? Not per say, but there are definitely moments in which it all comes together in harmonious fashion regardless.
If there’s one thing that’s apparent about Power, it’s that you will find plenty of well-written instrumentals with exceedingly natural sounding production. You can find loads of grooving bass lines, which carry strong punch and maintain a fairly high level in the mixing. Guitar playing that varies from soaring solos, to melodic harmonies and even moments of heavier riffage, which again maintain an incredibly crisp sound quality. The drumming here is also quite impressive and really helps to accent the rhythms that are presented by the bass player. Staring Into Nothing also make use of piano, which often gives songs such as the album opener “Puritans” an almost orchestral vibe that makes everything sound even grander that it already is. Staring Into Nothing pride themselves on a sound which is not focused on only one part of the band but rather on the overall atmosphere created on each song. Every part is crafted to interweave together and play off each other.
In terms of vocals, Steve Rogers tends to be fairly soft spoken in his deliveries and although there isn’t a ton of punch to his singing it fades into the instrumentals in a way that is still highly enjoyable. Aside from his vocals we are also presented with female vocals by Savannah Rogers who carries a sort of deep pitch that also bleeds into the instrumentals granted with a bit more range and depth. Though the vocals tend to be agreeable there will likely be those who find their lyrical approach a bit too straightforward and if that’s the case will likely find this element of the music grating.
You can expect a lot of politically charged songs on Power and Staring Into Nothing are not afraid to speak their thoughts on the foreboding problems we face in today’s day and age. Whether you will find this album too preachy or not is hard to say. The choice of lyrical matters that tend to be covered will likely be what divides those who are looking to dig further into Staring Into Nothing’s latest release. It is in my opinion, however, that they are on the right path as musicians who are not only socially conscious but also structurally focused as a band.
