Check out this review from "Subcultcha"
The Start
'Ciao, Baby '
Metropolis Records
Third album from LA dark wavers consolidates position
We all realise by now that the dream factory manufactures darkness and desire, but The Start are one of those bands who can give it a real old-fashioned Hollywood gloss. Decadent yet insistent, their ballsy synth-based sound blends dark wave with art-rock and makes the confection deeply danceable.
There’s much in common with the femme-fronted Garbage, though the structure of the band - now pretty much a duo between singer Aimee Echo and muso Jamie Miller - is closer to that of British outfit Goldfrapp, who share their enthusiasm for strong choruses and a bit of early 70s glam-rock.
The songs don’t quite have the tender romanticism of that band or older gutter hearts like Placebo or Suede, but their glamour and glitter are brightly compelling all the same and the album tightens its grip with successive listens. Best track? The ridiculously catchy Just A Fantasy.
By: Clare O’Brien
Aimee Echo and Jamie Miller formed theSTART in the Fall of 1998,
citing a mutual love of dark wave, dance music and art rock. The prophetic nature of their name revealed itself quickly,as they would be among the first of the crop of the new New Wave, alongside bands like the Faint, Le Tigre and Ladytron.
Over the course of two acclaimed albums and one EP, theSTART’s modern eclecticism and rock hooks have earned them a devoted following and a reputation as trendsetters of this new millennium. Additionally, they’ve won considerable acclaim for unfailingly compelling live sets, having shared stages with a wide range of popular acts, including Garbage, She Wants Revenge, the Moving Units, The International Noise Conspiracy, Burning Brides, the Von Bondies, Joan Jett, Weezer, Incubus and AFI. (Echo recently completed a string of dates singing for Swedish indie dance phenomenon Teddybears, including an appearance with the band at this year’s Coachella festival.)
With their third album “Ciao, Baby," theSTART delves into ever-more adventurous aural terrain, incorporating elements of experimental, electronic, and dance forms, fused with their distinctive rousing dark wave hooks and textures. Thematically, they continue to explore complex issues of identity, desire, and politics – both personal and global – through Echo’s enigmatic lyrical prism.
The couple created “Ciao, Baby” themselves (working closely with engineer Brian Virtue at his home studio). Miller composed the music and played every instrument on the record, with Echo writing all the lyrics and singing. The intensive song development process shows in the final result: ten tracks that find the band at a new plateau in their passionate creative mission.
From the call to arms of opening track (and leadoff single) “Wartime! (It's Time 2 Go Now)” to the sultry groove of the closing title track, “Ciao, Baby” is a major step in the ongoing evolution of one of the most exciting bands in independent rock today.
A new dance revolution is underway. This is theSTART.
