Brooklyn five-piece Desert Stars start 2012 off right with the release of their first single. âBoys I Likeâ and âFarewell Decadeâ are glossy pop songs that shimmer and shine from start to finish. These tracks are very well polished and seem a bit too slick to carry the shoegaze tag, but there are certainly elements. I should note that the slickness doesnât make them bad songs; in fact, they are pretty catchy indie-poppers that remind me of a more produced, slightly fuzzier version of Tennis.
The vocals are nice on both tracks, the harmonies are solid, and the entire band seems very competent, I just canât push aside the feeling that this sounds overproduced. As a result youâve got solid songs, but ultimately, this still feels like a work in progress. If anything, I think what I like best about Desert Stars is their potential. If this band keeps developing, I feel like they will have some amazing stuff ahead of them. This single is a really good start, but itâs far from their zenith.