Slip and Dive - Daystar Single Review

Daystar

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Single Review

The accompanying press release describes this debut single 'Slip And Dive' from new hot hopefuls Daystar as being 'youth dancing through the minefield of a paranoid, drug fuelled urban sub culture'. With that in mind you may feel inclined to just say 'No' before giving it the once-over. Which would be a pity, as this five-piece indie/pop outfit from Manchester have actually turned out something of a pretty decent little tune; one that sticks in the memory and becomes more enjoyable with each hearing.

Gone are the days where an artist would release a single or two before deigning to whack a full album out. As is the case with daystar, who unleashed the big one (produced by Mansun engineer Ronnie Stone) last year, and from which this track is taken. 'Slip And Dive' owes much of its style to a Sixties mod influence ( - as do the band themselves, based on evidence of the You Tube video for the single), wrapped up in a Nineties package, and delivered with present day panache and vibe.

A slick number with a catchy chorus that takes its lead from the vocal presence of frontman Simon Monaghan, ably complemented and abetted by the bass and rhythm sections of Steven Woods and Ryan Armfield respectively. Curiously, for a song that fundamentally cradles a somewhat 'dark' and gritty centre lyrically with, as previously mentioned, its inspiration coming from the fakery, club drug culture and resultant paranoia surrounding, its musical coating is of a lighter, poppy texture that does - as the title suggests - 'slip' and 'dive' along the course of its three minute trajectory.

Manchester has turned out a few stunners over the years to both assault, and caress, the eardrums, not least the those five lads who stumbled out of the northern reaches in the early 90s and defined a decade of indie Britpop. (You'll no doubt remember who they were?) Daystar may prove to be the forerunners of the next wave to put the Manchester music scene back on the map. They play the city's Moho Live on 5 February with Detroit Social Club. And if the Twitter buzz is anything to go by, Daystar could well be the stars of the night. Mint, as they say, oop north.

Alex Litton