From "The Boston Phoenix" (published 10.28.04): "The first thing that grabs you when you hear the Sterns is the angelic voice of singer/guitarist Chris Stern, whose pleasant lilt sounds truly distinctive over the band's '60s-rooted, '80s-tinged rol [+]From "The Boston Phoenix" (published 10.28.04): "The first thing that grabs you when you hear the Sterns is the angelic voice of singer/guitarist Chris Stern, whose pleasant lilt sounds truly distinctive over the band's '60s-rooted, '80s-tinged rollicking guitar pop. Stern and guitarist Alex Stern (unrelated), who began collaborating while playing in a local ska band , create a guitar sound that approximates what it might be like if the Smiths' Johnny Marr and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck were in the same band. The two Sterns' ringing guitars are grounded by the group's airtight rhythm section. Emeen Zarookian, who possesses a McCartney-esque pop instinct on the bass, and drummer Andrew Sadoway and keyboardist Michael Six quickly learned the songs (on which Chris and Alex had been working since 2002) in time to play the Sterns' first show, in November 2003. Soon after, the Sterns entered Galaxy Park Studio in Allston with engineer Richard Marr (Gigolo Aunts, the Gravel Pit) to work on an album. Completed just last month, Say Goodbye to the Camera is one of the best debut albums by an unsigned Boston band in recent memory (although, as we mentioned above, the best music often goes unnoticed, even by us at the Phoenix - gasp!). Though the songs and the sound are clearly influenced by '80s Brit-pop, Camera comes off as less derivative than the seemingly endless supply of clone bands to pop up during the current '80s resurgence, due in large part to the Sterns' masterful songwriting and arranging. Subtle but vital vocal harmonies, tasteful keyboard melodies, and pre-choruses that perfectly set up and transition into infectious choruses combine to form the expertly crafted songs that transcend the band's influences." (Will Spitz)
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