COSMIC STARFISH: Cosmic Starfish

Cosmic Starfish

Cosmic Starfish

© 2006 Jeffrey Randall Snyder (837101138819)

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Cool and synthy on the outside, warm and folksy on the inside.

tracks

1 Don't Give Up
2 What's Real
3 Blue Tuesday
4 Behind My House
5 Sea Major
6 Landing Out Of Place
7 Fish In A Bowl
8 Happy Most Of The Time
9 Plug & Play
10 Silverlake
11 Grace Fool

notes

Cosmic Starfish, aka Jeffrey Randall Snyder, is a one man electrofolkpop phenomenon who blends an inviting mix of heartfelt folk tunes with psychedelic electronica. Simply put, it's iFolk.

CS started back in Los Angeles, Summer 2004 when Jeffrey, a local singer/songwriter, got together with his long time buddy and producer extraordinaire, Adrien75. Together, they developed a fresh musical aesthetic by layering unaffected vocals and acoustic guitars over completely synthetic backing tracks.

Ever since, Cosmic Starfish has been spreading the love at clubs and radio stations across the country. And now, with a wonderfully reviewed debut album, Cosmic Starfish is poised to take on the world.

reviews

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  • A solid effort that deserves a spot on your watch list.
    author: Robert, Rhapsody Radish

    Play It! Cosmic Starfish is the lovechild of acoustic/electronic tunesmith Jeffrey Randall Snyder and producer Adrien75. If George Harrison never met the John and Paul, but instead hooked up with Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello from the Postal Service, you'd be very close to what this self-titled debut sounds like. The psyshedelic flavors walk into XTC land now and again, but never remain long enough for most to make the connection. A solid effort that deserves a spot on your watch list.

  • bright, beautiful electropop
    author: Jeremy, Musicspork

    Upon returning from SXSW, I discovered that a strange thing had happened: spring had returned to the Southland. And I didn't even really need to go outside to learn that a change had occurred, that the birds and sun had found their way back to LA. All I had to do was listen to Cosmic Starfish's self-titled album and there was no question the ice was thawing. The bright, beautiful electropop featured here is the result of the multitalented artist Jeffrey Randall Snyder coupled with the production skills of one Adrien75. Snyder competently tackles banks of Casios, acoustic guitars and drum machines but really leaves his mark with an unusual yet familiar vocal style: part Polyphonic, part Revolver-era Lennon, part Marc Bianchi. Comparisons to Aspera's Drew Mills also spring to mind. As a matter of fact, an Aspera/Cosmic Starfish show would make a lot of sense. The songs are appropriately clean and shiny and the production is crisp. Instrumentals such as "Sea Major" evoke a 22nd-century version of the "Three's Company" theme music. Likewise, the lyrical content, for the most part, is lighthearted (such as that of "Don't Give Up" and the tongue-in-cheek "XXX"), but does get melancholy; on the song "Behind My House," Snyder "long[s] for the sound of mono radio" and makes us believe it. And almost everything is given a thin coat of sunshine psychedelia. While the album might not be flawless (sometimes whimsy turns to goofiness and the sentiment begins to cloy), it is strong and, more importantly, fun. Picnic season is soon approaching and you won't want to spread the blanket without this on your iPod.

  • Cosmic Starfish Gives Electronica a Soul
    author: Bart Gottula, The Clarion

    At first glance, Cosmic Starfish's name may be a bit abnormal and untraditional, but their self-titled debut album shows off their creativity. The album is production from singer Jeffrey Randall Snyder and electronica genius Adrien75. Combining soft acoustics, unique lyrics, and smooth electronic beats, the album provides talent in a vaguely defined area of music. The opening song "Don't Give Up" starts the compilation with a soft electronica song. After listening to the song, however, it is easy to discover that the unusual lyrics and bass lines make a wondrous track that is hard to describe. "Hey, let's run away. It's such a shame to see you cry" are the opening lyrics to the song. Although they may seem unconventional, the lyrics help create a surprisingly catchy song in combination with the computer-based beats. The following track, "What's Real," tends to have more of a single tone. In addition to being the album's first single, "What's Real" is one of the most notable songs. Unusual lyrics also exist in the simplistic song, "The world is turning and so am I" However, the combination of soft acoustic guitar and the unique computer beats truly demonstrate the psychedelic tone of the album. The psychedelic tone set in the album continues in the song "Blue Tuesday." The comical lyrics in the song such as "all that was between me and her was a hookah. All she could say was super fly snuka" and funky acoustic riffs provide a memorable track. Toward the end of the song, though, the beat changes into an excellent electronica solo. Calming the listener and providing a softer side to the album, "Behind My House" is a short medley for listeners who want a break from the outlandish beats and lyrics earlier in the album. As unique and very psychedelic as the album appears, certain tracks such as "Sea Major" also demonstrate the other artistic talents of Adrien75. The song is purely instrumental, but uses very ear-friendly synthesizers and electronic beats similar to those of bands such as Pink Floyd. The combination of talents and subtle, yet powerful tone of the song are reasons alone to give the CD a try. Listeners may also be pleased with a short ska/soft rock track entitled "Landing out of Place". The song offers a nice variety to the album's psychedelic overtone. "Fish in a Bowl" returns the listener back to the cosmic world of the group with its untraditional song title and even more untraditional, yet interesting set of lyrics. The subsequent songs tend to remain soft and give a little less variation than previous tracks. "Happy Most of the Time" seems to be a slower version of a techno tune one would hear in a dance club. "Plug & Play" and "Silverlake" also remain rather quiet, but are still worth the time. Setting the stage for a grand finale, "Grace Fool" tends to build a higher volume, larger use of synthesizers, and overall memorable lyrics such as "So wipe that smile off your face, I'd rather go this one alone" that complete the album with a very fitting end. Cosmic Starfish's self-titled debut is clearly a very talented set of psychedelic tracks. Definitely worth recommending, the album is a smooth compilation for 2006.

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