Word on the Street: A "Black Holes And Butterflies" Review

Artist:  Spaceship Days

Album Title:  Black Holes And Butterflies
Review by Rhonda Readence

Rating:  4 stars (out of 5)

Friends since childhood, Chuck Cox (bass) Matt Mocharnuk (vocals), and Greg Torsone (everything else) have compiled their talents into a creative endeavor titled Spaceship Days.  Their album Black Holes and Butterflies is an eleven-track journey into the hearts and minds of these creative individuals and an excursion into melodic alternative pop.  The album starts with “Hanging From The Satellites,” a wonderful introductory track with a Third Eye Blind essence to it.  The lyrics are full of optimism and vivid imagery.  Listeners will adore the contagious rhythm of this piece and the soft comfort it brings.

“Stick On Stars” will likely be a fan favorite with excellent vocal harmonizing, haunting lyrics, and exceptional musicianship.  The sound quality is high and the overall feel of this track is one of polished professionalism with an artistic flair that is enviable.  “Shadow Walking” begins with a melody that is immediately intriguing and vocals that are again reminiscent of Third Eye Blind.  Matt gets the chance to educate us on the diversity of his vocal range in this piece and the rhythm is quietly energetic.  The lyrics carry a sense of soft melancholy and are extremely well-written.

“My Life Without You” is a beautiful love song with lyrics that will melt the heart.  The vocal delivery is full of emotion and the candid honesty of this song will give listeners an appreciation for the creative and artistic capacity of this band.  “Ghost Of California” changes the pace significantly with a faster rhythm and a catchy drumbeat.  The vocals sound slightly distant, which allows the listener to focus more on the instrumentation, which is spectacular, particularly the guitar work.  This is a solid track that fans will wait eagerly to see performed live.

“Pain In Pretty Things” is a darkly melodic piece that immediately brings to mind the song “Mad World” by Tears For Fears.  With thoughtful and deep lyrics, this song is brimming with emotion and candor.  The instrumentation is excellent and this is an amazingly well-composed piece of music.  “A Little Extraordinary” pretty much sums up this track with its title.  Except it should be a LOT extraordinary.  Full of optimism and hope, this track embodies the very essence of this collective.  Wonderfully produced, the sound quality is the icing on the cake.

Black Holes and Butterflies flows on with “Big World Pop Star,” a song that begins with a nice drumbeat and a slick guitar lick that catches the attention.  The vocals are spot on, as usual, and Spaceship Days carries this harmonious melody exceedingly well.  “Something Perfect” begins as an up-tempo track with a rhythm that will get legions of fans bopping to the beat.  As with most of the songs on the album, this piece carries a romantic vibe to it with hauntingly beautiful lyrics.  Fans of Catherine Wheel should be delighted with this offering.  “Sweet Suffocation” is the classic Spaceship Days song, containing intelligent and thoughtful lyrics, consistently professional musicianship, and an aura of optimistic hopefulness.  This artist has the ability to create emotional songs, without seeming overly emotional, and melancholy pieces without being sad.  They are also able to give a sense of possibility; the idea that anything can happen at any moment and that life is full of wonder.

The album closes with “Last Kiss on Earth,” a stellar piece full of exceptional piano work, classic guitar playing, and a rhythm that cannot be replicated.  The vocals are smooth and confident, carrying forth some of the best lyrics in music today.  Spaceship Days is a band full of excellent musicians who are clearly very talented, but there are a million of those.  What set Black Holes and Butterflies apart from conventional alternative music are the lyrics and the sense of confidence and hope that this band seems to radiate.  Fans will listen to this music not so much for the music itself, although it is excellent.  They will listen to this music for the way it makes them feel.

Review written by Rhonda Readence
   --Rhonda Readence is a freelance writer based out of Cleveland Ohio who currently writes the Artist of the Week feature for Exciting City Magazine.