Today I was introduced to Joshua Staar. I have to admit, upon first look I thought we had another overzealous, young emo/pop, singer-songwriter that thinks his sound is different and better than anyone else out there. First glances can be deceiving.
Blue Skies is his first full-length album and luckily for me I was given a chance to listen to the whole thing early. In simple terms: this is a complete record that will have you in a good mood and swaying your head before you even realize it. The first track ‘The Way She Looks At Me’ starts with an arena rock feel before you get introduced to Joshua Staar’s sweet, mellow vocals that will melt many a young girls’ heart. This is a straight ahead pop song that could be on mainstream radio tomorrow.
Another highlight of the album for me is ‘Sorry’. A true pop-rock song in the vein of The All-American Rejects with a hint of Fountains Of Wayne thrown in. In the lyrics he yearns to go back and fix some past mistakes. If the girl who he hurt hears this song, I am sure she will accept his apology whole-heartedly.
Joshua Staar is a true musician, playing piano and guitar, as well vocals that are very well-developed for an artist of his age. It also came as no surprise after hearing the record that he comes from a background as a recording engineer. The album is mixed phenomenally well with production values way ahead of my expectations.
The album closes with acoustic versions of 3 of Joshua’s best songs; Blue Skies, Don’t Walk Away, and Surrender. Getting to hear these songs stripped of all their production and studio tricks really lets you realize what good songs they are. Intimate acoustic songs that would play well on any lazy Sunday morning.
In closing, before I get to sappy, Blue Skies is a great record for this newcomer to the pop-rock genre. Expect to hear more of his music on the radio before long, but remember Indie Band Guru was one of the first to introduce you to Joshua Staar.
There is currently a live stream of the full album on his website at www.joshuastaar.com . Go take a listen now!
