Planes Mistaken For Stars : "Do You Still Love Me ?"

 

The late Gared O'Donnell recorded this album while undergoing Chemo, before succumbing to his chance at 44. The first song encapsulates why these guys never broke through to the mainstream, they pound into the song at a more sludge-like pace, and unless you share in the inner darkness with which these songs were conceived you might not know what to make of the brooding. To my ears it's beautiful,. "Fix Me" comes closer to punk, with its palm-muted tension, Gared's signature howl, is possessed by even more despair. When these guys came out back in the 90s. "Further" finds them galloping into things with a more aggressive approach. 

"Arrow"  has a more kinetic punk energy. Gared's gravelly voice is possessed by more depth and raw introspection than what is commonly heard in the genre. "Modern Logic' touches on a more melodic side that was not often heard from the band, here it makes me think of Screaming Trees. The guitars are brighter than what you expect from this band but work. You get to hear a wider range of sounds on this album than they normally ventured into in their earlier work, "Punch the Gauge "being an example of this.

The first stab at the title track is a very metallic riff that has an almost grunge-tinged rumble. "Run Rabbit Run" is more punk and driving, with a reckless sonic jangle.  "Peace" is another song where the overall feel is brighter than what you think of when it comes to these guys. I think when it comes to expanding their sound "Put Your Heart to the Fire", feels like it comes closer to his vision.  "The Calming" is more emotive in the atmosphere it hovers in. "In Hell" is on track for the more punk roots of who the band is. The closing take on the title track is much different than the first version. I am not sure if this brighter guitar tone is his doing, or if this was the direction he wanted, I appreciate it's shimmer for what it is. I will go ahead and round this up to a 10, as it is clear he was ending things in a manner that still pushed their sound forward. Gared you are missed.  

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