Review: Greta Van Fleet ‘Starcatcher’
By Mike O’Cull
Grammy-winning rockers Greta Van Fleet deliver an expansive and majestic set of true rock music on the group’s new album Starcatcher.
Available July 21st, 2023 via Republic Records/BMG, Starcatcher is the most ambitious and mature Greta Van Fleet effort to date. It captures and expands the vibes and attitudes of the full-on, rockstar 70s, a time when top bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin made music for listening, not dancing. GVF is deeper into that mode than ever before on Starcatcher and the intricate, mystical sound they create here will guide devoted listeners to the same hypnotic states of consciousness as the greats of old. The songs delve into the distance between reality and fantasy and the battle of light versus darkness and these epic themes add a lot of substance to the album.
Greta Van Fleet, made up of vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist/keyboardist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner, have built a huge following by mining the more cerebral aspects of classic rock and using them to make music of substance. Their 2017 EP From The Fires won Best Rock Album at the 61st Grammy Awards, their 2018 full-length release Anthem of the Peaceful Army topped the Billboard Rock Albums chart, and they’ve sold more than 3.5 million units around the world. Their sound aims higher than most bands influenced by the classics. Rather than chase headbangers or barroom dancers, GVF seems to pursue the inner mind and the treasures that are found there. The band is always artful and fearlessly creative and uses their ideas and inspirations as they see fit.
From the first bars of the opening track “Fate Of The Faithful,” Greta Van Fleet looms large and plays with the kind of artistic boldness that creates iconoclastic careers. The song unfolds at its own unhurried pace, taking the time to draw you into its realm. Lead singer Josh Kiszka displays his dynamic range and melismatic power to great effect; you literally can’t pull your ears off of him. Underneath, his brother Jake Kiszka contributes guitar work full of emotional texture, letting his soul ebb and flow with each new section. The entire experience is big-league all the way.
The acoustic guitar intro to “Waited All Your Life” leads you into a slightly more mellow song with a layered, mystical feel. Josh Kiszka again shines at the top of the arrangement while brother Jake uses his guitars to invent a chordal universe that’s beyond inviting. These tunes grow in impact with repeated listening and your admiration for the band’s inventiveness will build with each spin.
“Waited All Your Life”
The grinding beat of “Sacred The Thread” flirts with Zeppelin-isms but evolves into a mind-expanding spellbinder that softens the might of the drum part. It finds its own heavy blues/rock identity by striving to be something more than lesser hands would have made. What’s interesting about this track and the rest of Starcatcher is that GVF don’t seem to care about writing short, easily-digestible radio fodder but instead are taking their shot at creating timeless rock music. These songs are meant for those who listen closely and contemplate their meaning and personal interpretations. The closer you get to them, the more the connections matter.
Other highlights on Starcatcher include the grand “Meeting The Master” and the all-out rock of the all-too-brief “Runway Blues.” Don’t make the mistake of skipping tracks on it, however. The best listening strategy is to start it, take it in all the way through, and let it take you where it takes you. Greta Van Fleet are offering an antidote to our plastic, short-attention-span daily environment, one that it needs. Great art is often polarizing but you have to be glad that someone out there is going hard to be more than a quickly-forgotten viral video. This one, you simply must hear for yourself.
Greta Van Fleet website
sorry to hear this news,as I have watched them both for several years now..This maycome across as arrogant,but I felt something was not quite right the last two years between them ,,it’s all about body language,speed of walk together,and eye contact with the audience,,they wanted more than anything to get off that stage….I love and wish them both safe and happy travels
Are you referring to Greta Van Fleet? Who is “both” that you refer to? What are you talking about something not right between them? They just have had 3 sold out concerts to start the new tour and they love taking the stage and interacting with the audience. I feel like this might be a comment for a different article?
Thanks for this review. I can tell you really listened to the album through and through several times. Same here. It took me a few listens, and now I am totally hooked. All the songs are good, and the textures and dynamics are interesting. Yes, it does need to be listened to in its entirity. But then certain songs get stuck in my head and I have to listen to them over and over again. I know the lyrics of Farewell For Now are simplistic, but it’s full of love and after some of the mysterious lyrics on others songs, it’s nice to hear a straight forward one.
Disappointing album. Very overblown, over-thought and over-produced… even more so than thier Guardians Gate album. You could tell they discovered or rediscovered the Presence album in these last two Greta offerings.
First two albums were spontaneous, and varied. Now Its all “Stardust Chords and light my love” ugh… with a few exceptions. Thankfully, the second half of the album starting with Runaway Blues” gets things a bit back on track and not sounding like an album built for 14 year old girls.
That all said, I still listen to Greta every day. A few songs from this album may make it to my playlist.
Straying too far from rock into the “ethereal music” realm. Led Zep did it with style and small doses.
Greta Van Fleet… Catering to 14 year old girls and Unicorns.
Come on, Greta. I guess Dirty Honey will be carrying the “Heavy Load” , AKA “gettin the Led out” from now on. They have the chops AND attitude.
I’m sure the Greta Commercial Formula works, and they all have mounds of money. Next Me Too album in a couple of years, or a genuine musical effort?