From the
Phil Spector-like production blasts of the first song, "Town and Country," to the obviously
Stones-inspired "Rabbit Scared," New York rockers
Star City aren't afraid to lay out their influences. The album,
Inside the Other Days, was produced by
Dennis Diken (drummer for
the Smithereens) and
Dave Amels, and has a surprisingly Midwestern feel to it. The members of the band spend their time split between several punk and alt-country bands in the N.Y.C. area, but
Star City feels nothing like a one-off project. All the songs hold together whether they're lap-steel romps like "West Virginia Hills" or pop croons like the dreamy "It's Not Love Anymore," anchored by the songwriting and vocal talents of leader
Jason Lewis. Not all of the songs are as successful (the achingly slow "These Little Pills" for example), but hidden gems like the hung-over "Icarus Turn" showcase the band's merits.