Review: Greta Van Fleet, ‘Starcatcher’ – Are We Back On The Bandwagon?

Greta Van Fleet returned last Friday with their third full length album, Starcatcher. I have to admit, after hearing the first single, “Meeting The Master,” I was really looking forward to this one. That song sort of erased some of the residual bad feelings I had after the last LP, Battle At The Garden Gate…but then, I’ve been fond of Greta Van Fleet – the brothers Kiszka, Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar), Sam (bass) and drummer Danny Wagner – since the beginning when the Rock Chick turned me onto these guys. 

I can’t believe it’s been six years since GVF released their first EP, Black Smoke Rising. Sure it sounded like these guys were channeling Led Zeppelin, but who better to channel? It was rollicking, no-holds barred rock n roll played with reckless abandoned. The music rocked but it also had such joy in the rocking. I will admit it felt great to get in on the ground floor of a new band… at the time, other than Starcrawler, I probably hadn’t done that since the White Stripes. Six months later they released what was described as a “double-EP,” From The Fires, which contained the 4 previous tracks from Black Smoke Rising with four new tracks (including a Sam Cooke cover, always a treat). I can still tap my foot along to the melody of “Talk On The Street” running in my head.

There were really just two schools of thought in reaction to GVF, (a) they’re the second coming of Zeppelin, yes!! and (b) these guys are ripping off Zeppelin, no thanks. I think that Zeppelin comparison mostly comes from Josh Kiszka’s vocals which are very early Zeppelin-era Plant. Plant said Josh was “a beautiful little singer,” and that’s good enough for me. When you get the “Golden God’s” sign off, do you really need anybody else’s? I’ve always heard a little Geddy Lee in there too but maybe that’s just me? My feelings about these guys was basic: they’re four guys in a room (or on a stage) playing real rock n roll with guitar/bass/vocals/drums. More of that please.

A lot of rock n roll fans (who were in category (a) above) were really excited about GVF. That’s always a good thing for a band but it can be a double edged sword. Great enthusiasm leads to great expectations… and as we all know great expectations can lead to great disappointment. Just ask my wife how she feels about each new U2 album that comes out… When they finally released their first full length LP, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army, it wasn’t quite as raucous but I still liked it. I missed that joyful, reckless, harder rock but again, there was a lot of great music on that record. I felt it was a  young band still finding their own voice. I caught them live on that tour and they really brought it. But then they put out their follow up, the “difficult second album” as Bono calls it, Battle At The Garden Gate…and I found myself disappointed. I was harsh in my review but probably harsher in my mind. It was over-produced (by Greg Kurstin no less), too slick and the songs were just… ponderous. I got bored with that album real quick, especially the second half. At 12 songs and over an hour in length, it just lost me. I found myself sliding off the bandwagon… I had one reader, after seeing my review say, “Don’t knock GVF, they’re the only new rock band I like…” I hear ya. I did go back and re-listen as “research” for this review… it’s not as bad as I remember.

Which all leads me Starcatcher. I heard they had changed producers (thankfully) and hired a guy named Dave Cobb who is known for his work in Nashville with Americana artists. Now that gave me pause… usually when I find myself in the “Americana” section of the record store it means I’m lost. I thought perhaps since this was their third LP, they’d go all Led Zeppelin III. Maybe we’d hear a “Bron-Y-Van Fleet Stomp” or something comparable? Have no fear, this is a straight forward rock n roll record. It’s still just four guys playing rock n roll. Ding them for the influences and echos of other band’s songs, but any artist is going to have influences. They’ll absorb all those different influences and that’s what makes it distinctive to them. I hear rock, blues and folk in this music… although admittedly I wish they’d indulge the blues more.

Starcatcher, to these ears, is a much better record than Garden Gate. This album is much grittier than that one… and easier to digest at an old style 10 songs and just over 40 minutes. I read somewhere they recorded it live in the studio with only a few overdubs which I like. The lyrics still have that fantasy/Hippy vibe they’re fond of, and I’m okay with that. It’s still mostly midtempo, crunchy rockers but again if you go into it not expecting “Safari Song,” I think you’ll enjoy it. I’m certainly not bored with this album the way I was with the previous one or say, the Rival Sons’ new album Darkfighter…which is strange to me, I liked those guys’ Great Western Valkyrie. And yes, if you want to, you can still play this song sounds like “xyz” Zeppelin song… which I’ll try to avoid here.

The album kicks off with the moody “Fate of the Faithful” with Sam doubling on bass and electric keyboards. And I know I promised not to… but this has a real “No Quarter” vibe. I really liked it, the keyboards were a nice new texture I hadn’t heard before with GVF. The guitar solo is epic. I can’t say enough about Jake’s guitar playing on this record, especially the solos. “Waited All Your Life” is a nice track that blends the electric and acoustic. It’s more on the ballad side. “The Falling Sky” harkens me back to those early EPs. It’s a crunchy rocker and may be my favorite track. They even deploy a harmonica on the track which is always a plus to a blues rock dude like me. It’s probably the most upbeat track here. And yes, I’m always down for more tracks like this one. “Sacred The Thread” has an ominous vibe and starts with a nice echo-y drum sound from Danny Wagner. “I’ve seen it in the stars, to dress up a wound, to heal a scar.” I have no idea what he’s talking about, but I like it. The track is a real epic journey. “Runaway Blues” is the most rollicking, fast paced rocker they’ve ever done… but alas, it’s only 1:17… Sigh. Teasers…

“The Indigo Streak,” after the riff-age at the beginning, flips to a vocal harmony that makes me think of Jon Anderson and Yes. It could have been lifted off 90125. I really dig this song. It’s slinky and moves around the room. Both “Frozen Light” and “The Archer” are  heavier riff tracks. I have to admit, he sings the name “Sara” at the end of a few verses of the latter and I thought he’d gone all Plant style Tolkien and was yelling “Sauron.” “The Archer” almost has a prog rock feel to me… I’ve already reviewed “Meeting The Master” (link above), so I wont’ belabor that one again. I will just say, I think it’s one of their finest tunes. There’s a great little coda of a track, “Farewell For Now” which sounds like it was written and conceived from the stage, sung for the fans in the audience. It’s the type of sentiment that real critics hate but I kind of dug it. I’m sure it’ll be the perfect concert ender… and by the way it has a great guitar solo.

This is a really great album from a band that continues to attempt to find itself. There’s so much more to build on with this album than Garden Gate. Am I on the bandwagon again? Let’s just say I’ve got one hand and one knee up there and am pulling myself back up… the more I listen to Starcatcher the more on the bandwagon I seem to find myself.

Turn this one up loud… we all deserve some Zeppelin-y hard rock in our lives.

Cheers! and stay cool out there in that horrible heat.