SOUNDS SO BEAUTIFUL...
December 2003
STILAIR - EP
This year�s Hard Rock Battle of the Bands brought with it many surprise
revelations, by all means a good sign for a thriving local music scene
that is finally being appreciated. Of these, one band that struck me in
particular was Stilair (yes, spelt with one L!), a trio of musicians
sharing common goals and similar influences. Lingering mostly within the
alternative rock sphere, these influences crop up in the band�s recent
three-track promo, recorded at Fore Face Studios and produced by the
band and Niki Gravino, the latter also a prominent musician with his
band Skyn.
What is immediately obvious from the three tracks � Numb Dancing, Icon
and What - is the band�s preference for glacial sonics, a characteristic
that defines the Stilair sound. Drenched in this atmospheric veneer and
twinned with Gilbert�s vulnerable vocals, Trevor�s delicate guitarwork
and Karl�s uncomplicated rhythms, Stilair comes across as a blend of
some great alternative bands; The Church�s simple but effective vocal
composition, the melancholic appeal of Factory darlings Joy Division,
the brittle melodies of Into Paradise or Echo & The Bunnymen.
And the more one listens to the promo, the more it becomes apparent that
Stilair don�t really look at current trends for inspiration or
motivation. Their focus goes beyond the corporate definition of
�alt-rock�, and while there is just enough �pop sheen� in the songs to
earn them both radio airplay and mainstream appeal, the band�s roots
clearly hail back to the period when alternative meant nothing but
alternative.
Recommended weblink:
www.stilair.com
