There was an outcry in the metal/hardrock scene during the fall of 2012. Lacey Sturn had announced that she would depart from Flyleaf. Lacey was a key element to the sound of the band and was known for her incredible voice. The band had released 3 albums, all of which covered a different style. But each album was still coherent and had the signature Flyleaf sound. However, their last album “New Horizons” was a prelude to the change of sound. It was still Flyleaf no doubt, but you could hear things were headed for a slight different direction. As soon as Lacey left, Kristen May took her place. Is Flyleaf able to live up to the bar that they have set?
“Between the Stars” starts with the song “Set me on Fire”. You can hear a haunting bass guitar at the beginning of the song, and not long after that, you’ll hear the new voice of the band: Kristen May. You can definitely hear that this isn’t the old Flyleaf we used to know. But I have to hand it to Kristen, her voice fits right in with the rest of music. The band is headed towards a new direction, which is quite obvious, but you can still hear some small similarities between the old stuff and their newer work. The song builds up slowly towards the chorus, and it does so quite well. The chorus is as energetic as it should be. An enjoyable start for an album.
“Magnetic” starts off calmly with a catchy bass guitar intro. The guitar joins in, and the song is off to a great start. The rest of the instruments really compliment Kristen’s voice. Her voice is given the place it deserves, but it doesn’t dominate the sound of the entire band. Flyleaf seems to have found the right balance between the focus on the instruments and the vocals. It’s a bit more poppy than what I’m used to, but that’s not a bad thing.
The fourth track “Platonic” doesn’t leave you waiting. Because as soon as the song starts, you can hear the guitars and background vocals that really set the tone for the rest of the song. And I have to tell you, the atmosphere in this song is great. Kristen delivers some of her best vocals I’ve heard so far. I think that this song goes back a bit to Flyleaf’s older work, but not so much that it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the album.
At the beginning of “Thread” you’ll immediately hear the drums and a nice, clean sounding guitar. The bass joins in together with Kristen, and it fits right in again. The entire mix just sounds right. Her voice is really powerful in the chorus, which contradicts the softer verse. I personally love it when bands create songs like that.
The intro to “City Kids” is a really soft one, but it works. You can hear that Kristen isn’t going all out, but it’s nice to hear her singing some softer songs. After the first half of the song, things suddenly get louder with distorted guitars and even a scream, but the song goes soft again after just 5 seconds. After another verse, the song does the same thing, but this time for a bit longer. I love it when songs go from soft to rough, but the transition in this song just seemed odd to me. However, it’s still a good song.
Overall: If you give this album a listen with the hopes of hearing the good ol’ Flyleaf with just a new vocalist; you’ll be disappointed. Flyleaf has moved on towards a different sound. However, if you keep an open mind while listening to this album, you’ll find an enjoyable album with some rock solid guitars and a good female vocalist. Also, the bass guitar is given a rightful place in almost every song, as they play different parts than the guitars. “Between the Stars” is a new chapter for Flyleaf, and the band has a lot of potential to grow with the new sound they’ve adapted.
Rating: 7/10
Written by Geert Prins
Tracklist:
1. Set Me on Fire (3:37)
2. Magnetic (3:41)
3. Traitor (2:59
4. Platonic (3:33)
5. Head Underwater (2:50)
6. Sober Serenade (3:46)
7. Thread (2:50)
8. Marionette (3:47)
9. Well of Lies (4:33)
10. City Kids (3:52)
11. Blue Roses (3:17)
12. Home (2:50)
Band members:
Kristen May – Vocals
Jared Hartmann – Guitars
Sameer Bhattachary – Guitars
Pat Seals – Bass
James Culpepper – Drums
Record Label: Loud & Proud, Sept. 2014
Discography:
“Flyleaf” (2005)
“Memento Mori” (2009)
“New Horizons” (2012)
“Between The Stars” (2014)
Weblinks: Website / Facebook / Twitter
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Video below ‘Set Me On Fire’
Video below “Between The Stars” (Album Sampler)