Lab Partners - Review for Daystar:

The Music Lair

The Lab Partners Rocket to the Top
In the 1960's and '70's, artists such as Pink Floyd and David Bowie tried to use their music to show us what it would be like to live in outer space. These pioneeers of pop created a new genre of music that some would call Space Rock. Even today, there are bands across the globe that continue to explore the vast expanses of the universe with their music. Here in Dayton, our astronauts of audio are the Lab Partners.

The Lab Partners latest album "Daystar" was recently released on their hometown label, Big Beef Records, which also represents long-time local favorites such as Morella's Forest, the Mulchmen, and Real LuLu. The new Lab Partners record, which is their third release, has already garnered praise from the likes of Spin Magazine, and smaller publications throughout the country. Even after a single orbit through the stereo, it is clear why this is a band to keep an eye on.

The album begins with the mellow 'Gold', a song that builds the antipation before the eventual liftoff. Then the rockets begin to roar with "Those Things" and "You Make it Better." We reach the album's apex with the 10-minute epic "Still Shine On", a song that swirls and fades in and out with droning guitars, keyboards and vocals. Just when the gravitational pull of this record seems to be at its strongest, the album's single "Magnify" takes things up another notch. The earth receeds as we travel through the next few tracks, finally coming back down with the title track "Daystar" and "Home".

If you're looking for pop music, this isn't it. No heavy metal either. 'Daystar' is indie rock at its finest, blending innovative sounds and meaningful lyrics in a way that few can. In the galaxy of Ohio music, the Lab Partners are one of the brightest stars in the sky.
- Keith Klein