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Starlight's Castaways

by What Strange Beasts

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paliojen_black
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paliojen_black Thank you to Mr. Kelly for his wonderful review. It was just the nudge I needed to pick up this stellar release. This is a really beautiful and fun, double album with downright infectious melodies and a strong vocal delivery. Fantastic! Favorite track: Best Friends.
Nickie Harte Kelly
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Nickie Harte Kelly Progressive/Art rock band from Seattle blends in more than just a hint of psychedelia in their sound. This is a concept piece exploring space, but it’s also examining the interior lives of the people inhabiting it. In between each longer track is a short entr'acte introducing the next chapter in the saga. Lots of keyboards and guitars of all types here, and of course, drums. The vocals are clear and very reminiscent of 70’s psych, as it became more progressive. Just infectious. Favorite track: Ocean Glass.
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1.
Turn your eyes to the stars
2.
Hit the drive, ditch the weight, now we’re Good. To. Go. Got no past, got no map, got no Need. To Know. She might break apart in flight, but that’s Just. Our. Code, So Strap in! Planet's in the rearview, woah All the cosmos hears you, Come this way, We're starlight's castaways! Far too fast for the fuzz, come on Make It So Why did I stow away on this psycho’s boat? Did they jettison their brains to make space for treasure? Thanks for spacing that stupid navcom. Oh my pleasure! Can’t stop me Into the great beyond Fire your beams Cause we’re already gone Starlight’s Castaways! Captain’s hat, Up to bat, take the helm and drive Got a feel for the wheel, guess it’s just my time Say Goodbye, Galaxy, we’re heading for The next one over, time to plunder, go!
3.
4.
Meteor Bath 04:51
Until we meet again… Follow me to the hilltop lights Been so long, can it be tonight? Chasing ghosts across the sky Just one flash to wash over my eyes …was it you? Hit the button and let it rain Streaming into your world again Weave me down between those tails Spark and fire are gifts to kiss the new …was it you? Let it rain, let it fall, let it in Let it rise, let it shine, let’s begin! All the while, still in style, to the end We embrace our new place, we ascend Pull me out of the years gone by The comet-tail dreams, the lonely nights Distant world, shine in the dark Got this compass so I won’t fall apart (for you) All the life in tow, just a bonus to the show for you Let it rain, let it fall, let it in Let it rise, let it shine, let’s begin! All the while, still in style, to the end We embrace our new place, we ascend These stars were in my dreams Wishing and waiting and anticipating Always closer than it seemed Ages gone by with our hope never fading Every hour’s a gift— The signals, the noise, and the sorrows and joys Can you give us all a lift? Take flight Take flight Take flight To those lights Let it rain, let it shine, to the end
5.
In Jest 00:45
Meiosis licks us all differently, fresh new angles with which to see. But opal slinks up upon the nerves, and block out sunlight that gives you worth.
6.
Plasticbrain 04:23
Insane was just the word to say To turn your focus the other way To eat your peaches and pacify Cause you're too god to believe that lie The Asphalt 'neath your feet's a sheen A bright new world lay underneath But still you listen and groom those shelves ‘Cause you ain't believin' no one else Tragic, tragic goes the Plasticbrain (I don’t believe I’m insane!) Tragic, tragic goes the Plasticbrain (Just watch it go down the drain!) Go ahead and do it all the same (It always seems such a pain) Tragic, tragic, tragic, tragic brain They tell you that they believe it, too Then they turn it around on you Cause "some tomorrow", oh they say You will finally have your day, yes You will finally have your day yes You will finally have your day! Tragic, tragic goes the Plasticbrain (Maybe I might be insane!) Tragic, tragic goes the Plasticbrain (Watching it go down the drain!) Go ahead and do it all the same (They say no pain, no gain) Tragic, tragic, tragic, tragic brain Keep pushing forward, keep falling backwards Pick yourself up–Turn it on and then off again! Expecting results from lightbulbs and bolts Dig yourself out! Your mind caged in your crown Turn yourself around Tragic, tragic goes the Plasticbrain (I’m already insane!) Tragic, tragic goes the Plasticbrain (Somewhere far down the drain!) Go ahead and do it all the same (Will someone please turn up the gain?!) Tragic, tragic, tragic, tragic brain
7.
8.
Scattered, shattered skies from chimneys rise And metal minds are all around The man in red cries from his bed, all done and said The birds don’t make a sound They sing the quiet part out loud… The quiet part out loud The quiet part out loud The quiet part out loud He made his family from the earth And in the dearth of bodies free from flaws Madness dances from his hands to all the land He makes his word the law This life of smothered stars and midnight dark We don’t know who we are And time and time we’ve had this dream And still it seems it never goes too far Never goes too far Never goes too far Never goes too far Our spirits shouted to the tower: ”You are not alone!” We are not your paintings, but a story of our own Were we not listening? Or were we only waiting For our turn to talk? For our turn to talk (scattered, shattered skies) For our turn to talk (scattered, shattered skies) For our turn to talk (scattered, shattered skies) The last man who’s standing Doesn’t know himself from devils or from gods With engines of destruction manifesting When he stretches out his rod Finding and reminding All the faces that he sculpted out of steel The crystal heart that beats inside their bodies He had always made to feel He’d always made to feel He’d always made to feel He’d always made to feel
9.
Homeforest 01:27
Where do we end the lost and found? When do we place our feet on hallowed ground? How did this start? How could we have missed this place? Nestled ‘tween the Time and Space Time and Space Inside our hearts
10.
Run away Run away Took a little excursion Right out of my comfort zone Heard a different version Of the truth that eludes us and drives it all home Comin’ in for a landing Air was nasty and burning me up Not quite understanding How a place that had plenty had just had enough Wanna Run away, run away, run away, cryin’ All the way home Hide away, right away, outta-sight-away Keep your head down! Turn away, burn away, learn away What you think that you know Know the way, go away Won’t you get me away Get me out of this town (Get me outta this town!) Sea of banners, an ocean of shouts Tortured wails on the wind Saw her stumbling out of those clouds And the tears on her face ran through blood on her skin She was carrying a sign in her hand She demanded to know where I stand I remember that fire in her eyes And her feet on a line in the sand She said… Run away, run away, run away, cryin’ All the way home Hide away, right away, outta-sight-away Keep your head down! Turn away, burn away, learn away What you think that you know Know the way, go away Won’t you get me away Get me out of this town Doctor tell me I’m losing my mind Please don’t tell me it’s real Said, “Not sure what you thought I would find. It’s not you who’s gone crazy, you’ll just have to deal.” Veiled angels in white Saw them work through the night When the morning had come They’d wrapped up everyone Get me out of this town
11.
One-Time Pad 01:42
12.
Somewhere else I run beside galactic streams of light Collect the writ of all that civilize Steely cans my only audience for my cries Out of sync a million years on gravity’s own tides Too far past to hear all their replies. Maybe someone’s figured out a way to say 'hi' But I can’t hear anything Must I return to dream? Can you signal me at the end of all? Space and time, give me a call Throw your words to the stars When you see me passing by (or just try) I’ll hold on the line Hard to tell how many cycles that I’ve even gone How many miles were written on my skin Blurred-together stories carry on Where is mine? But the reply was just a ghost Where did all those people go? Am I the only one to know How these epochs ebb and flow? Far and wide these waveforms hide Throw them on the pile Words I need to feel inside I’ll be waiting while You signal me at the end of all Space and time, give me a call Throw your words to the stars When you see me passing by, or just try I’ll hold on the line Tuning in, attenuate, picking out a sound Maybe there was something on the scope Do I believe my ears that it might just be...hope?
13.
Stowaway 01:15
14.
Cat's Paw 03:48
There’s a place we felt like being Where the fabric’s bending Beyond what we were seeing Nearly never-ending See the cosmos come alive Feeling stars and souls combined Punch that hyperdrive Shimmer, shine, glimmer! Maybe we were waiting for the right time Saving our ambrosia for a bright mind There’s no competition for the grand prize There isn’t any limit to the number of tries Doesn’t take much–Just a dash of Something special, someone fearless and bold Alchemy’s an art and not a science You might be delighted when you give it a go! In the interstellar kitchen Something’s brewing Enticing and bewitching Mind undoing So savor all this flavor Steel your nerves and never waver Hold your horses, ‘cause the forces here Might tear you all apart! Maybe we were waiting for the right time Saving our ambrosia for a bright mind There’s no competition for the grand prize There isn’t any limit to the number of tries Doesn’t take much–Just a dash of Something special, someone fearless and bold Alchemy’s an art and not a science You might be delighted when you give it a go! Maybe we were waiting for the right time Saving our ambrosia for a bright mind There’s no competition for the grand prize There isn’t any limit to the number of tries Doesn’t take much–Just a dash of Something special, someone fearless and bold Alchemy’s an art and not a science You might be delighted when you give it a go!
15.
Aeternium 01:20
16.
Ocean Glass 07:12
Where’re you going in such a hurry? Seen you lost in that flurry of activity How’s life been here in the future? Now that the years we have are fewer in captivity Wish I’d lived a thousand lifetimes Then all these moments I could hang right on your every word How many times did you need me? All those secrets that we left behind and went unheard But you’re trying to wind that watch When the clock’s all but stopped In the years you will find You can’t just hit rewind I recall that you were crying Embracing like we knew We'd never share another hour "Don't you drift, no matter what," Then the distance found its way to seep between our words And the sun’s all but down Yet we still dance around All the things we’d have shared If the Fates would have dared Timelines, slipping by—guess you must have slipped my mind I try to get it right, connect the dots between our lives I know not all good things last forever But it’s better late than never Reaching out across the years There was nothing in this silence that we treasured We’ve known trials, we’ve known tears We’ve known pain and hardships beyond any measure But it’s better But it’s better But it’s better late than never Trying to wind that watch When the clock’s all but stopped In the years we will find We can’t just hit rewind
17.
18.
Second Sight 04:33
Blind into divine Grant my door through all of time Do I turn to a wasteland Turn to make it right? Lacerated by the veil Cast back to my personal hell Can I beg the universe To break me from this jail Beg the universe to lift me with the gale! Omni eye, fill my sky My sweet second sight Lost inside a clockwork grind Waking to eternal memory Curse this second sight eludes me! “Don’t follow me, this path was not to be. Let this valley stay unseen” This is not my fate! My world is what I make This is where this spirit can be saved This is where I’m finally awake Holding out for this reprise Cry out in the night Am I along now for the ride? Serpents moving endless futures Tie me up with temporal sutures Synaptic doorways, cerebral gates The twisted fibers of the fates All tomorrows that await me And unmake me in a flash Trying one more magic number Show me time that’s unencumbered Could’ve-beens all torn asunder Buried under all these pasts! Omni eye, fill my sky My sweet Second Sight Lost inside a clockwork grind My sweet Second Sight Holding out for this reprise (Synaptic doorways, cerebral gates) (The twisted fibers of the Fates) Cry out in the night! (All tomorrows that await me and unmake me in a flash) Am I along now for the ride? (Trying one more magic number) (Show me time that’s unencumbered) Serpents moving endless futures Tie me up with temporal sutures
19.
20.
All the way up to the sky I love you between you and I Should you fall down, I’ll catch you Run out and fetch you God forbid you’d have to cry The stars shone a different light Brilliant, they tore up the night But they lined up as stars do To show just how far you Would run away out of my sight And even the wind seems to breathe as you sleep It can’t blow away all the mysteries you keep But for now stay growing Without ever knowing A gift with a price that’s so steep We saw your name between your eyes A letter in clever disguise Closed tight, still dreaming I know they’re still gleaming With power and insight so wise And maybe it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie You can’t clear away all the clouds in the sky Remember, as I do, somebody loves you And that’s all you need know tonight Close your eyes…
21.
Azimuth 01:02
22.
It's Mine 05:47
Got shabby clothes I don't suppose you'd wanna know my name I'm one of those Who never knows fortune or knows fame Scraping by Time and time we never got our way, oh no (never got our way!) So here's the thing You'll hear me out with what I've got to say It's mine for the taking! Don't care whose hearts we're breaking The truth inside is waking (and know that we’re not faking!) Watch history—and our future!—in the making All this time We never saw the greatness bound inside Oh no no no no no Kept hearing lies, when whispers kept us living our small lives (I don’t want it no more!) I feel it now, I don’t know how It’s singing in my blood My minds alight, so hang on tight It’s holding back a flood! It's mine for the taking! Don't care whose hearts we're breaking The truth inside is waking (and know that we’re not faking!) Watch history—and our future!—in the making How you guys doin’ back there? Ugh… I can taste that galaxy…! That great huh? Just save some for me *retches* I feel lighter and righter, I've figured it out! Maybe we all need a cure for our doubts And tell me you'll toast me when I throw back the glass And watch me become my true self at last! Uh oh… It's mine for the taking! Don't care whose hearts we're breaking The truth inside is waking (and know that we’re not faking!) Watch history—and our future!—in the making
23.
24.
Deeper Space 06:07
This horizon’s longing Watch the stars all flash and fade This abyss the bang has made I’ve aeons on my side Stretch my vessel so long Thin to see the suns are bursting Has this judgment strung me out enough Where did my time go? Onto deeper space Where I'll be a stranger What can be erased? Galaxies spin down the drain While I ride your nebula away A past that lies before my eyes Future-tense is where I went Spin me up and pull me down until You’re all that’s on my mind Paths that lead to doorways Cross that threshold in my dreams Lock and key, did you need me to tell Of all that I might find Within future space Where I'll be a stranger What can be erased? Galaxies spin down the drain While I ride your nebula away Did you say there’s another scene A perfect place, with a newer dream I can see that the grass is green A brighter shade, so fresh and clean You say I still have work to do But what would you do If you were in my shoes? One way street through this divide On my way I thought I’d say Looking beyond yesterday I left something behind Next time will be something else All the fumbles of the past never happened It’s going so fast that I can’t gaze upon your face In this fallen space Where I'll be a stranger What can be erased? Galaxies spin down the drain While I ride your nebula away
25.
Inversions 01:30
26.
Best Friends 04:46
This is where it starts and this is where it ends Reach into the mirror, try to make a friend Be sure to take it slowly, if time is on your side The lights are on, the table’s set, got nothing left to hide What’s your favorite shade of my favorite hue? When I hurt myself did I think of you? For the things you’ve done and the things I’ve seen And the things you said that we didn’t mean If good enough is plenty forget about the rest Your nose against the paper, not everything’s a test 'Cause it’s a nice day outside I’m sure you’ll do your best You felt alone, hey baby I know how it feels It’s time to own those shadows nipping at your heels Lover so fine, sworn enemy of mine Let’s see what the morning reveals Alien Invasions, simple conversations Far too strange to dive in, too plain to cultivate them You’ve got nowhere else to be, so come along and see Tonight’s on me, I know a place Don’t need a reservation And I think you’ll find What you’ve left behind You hold your peace Your puzzle has no lines You felt alone, hey baby I know how it feels It’s time to own those shadows nipping at your heels Lover so fine, sworn enemy of mine Let’s see what the morning reveals! Lover so fine, sworn enemy of mine– Let’s see what the morning reveals

about

The scintillating second series of sonnets from What Strange Beasts explores the wonders of the universe, and the mirror imaging and reflection of the universe in each and every one of us as pieces explore distance, isolation, loss, and the elation and joy of connection and new adventures.

credits

released February 3, 2023

Aaron Kremer: Bass, Synthesizer, Acoustic Guitar (Oceanglass, One Time Pad), Vocals
Benjamin Ruby: Synthesizers, Piano, B3, Wurly, Theremin, Vocals
Alley C: Guitars
Jonathan Maxwell: Drums, Acoustic Guitar (Imperfect Vision, Deeper Space), Vocals

Produced & Mixed by Don Gunn at The Office
Recorded at London Bridge Studios by Don Gunn
Shoreline, Washington
Mastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering

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What Strange Beasts Bryn Mawr Skyway, Washington

Strange creatures from Renton bring you Psychedelic Prog Rock to scramble your earsticles

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