Artist: The Starvations
Album: Gravity’s a B----
Label: Gold Standard Labs
Tracks: 11
Length: 25:50
Review By: Christopher Thomas!

Reviewers tend to use a lot of the same words over and over again.  “Thrilling,” “classic,” “delightful,” “Keanu Reeves,” “smash hit,” “quirky,” “Jennifer Lopez.”  We’ve heard those words a million times in movie reviews, music reviews, sitcom descriptions, commercials, toy ads, family Christmas cards, and more.  But the word that is perhaps most often borrowed from the reviewers’ word bank is the ever-reliable yet inexplicably mysterious “romp.”  Search the Internet Movie Database at imdb.com, and you will find hundreds – yes, hundreds – of reviews and synopses boasting a movie as some kind of romp.  Here are a few:

Valley of the Kings: “A good old-fashioned romp.”

Meet Me After the Show: “…light-hearted romp of love and amnesia.”

Shaun of the Dead: “...a delightful romp through bloody entrails and pints of beer…”

Kangaroo Jack: “A fun romp without pretense, but lots of laughs!”

Pride and Prejudice: “...a delightful, amusing romp…”

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: “…the film is an enjoyable romp…”

Last time I checked, Pride and Prejudice was far from a romp.  And Terminator 3, while it did have it’s share of one liners and big adventures, was nowhere near the boisterous frolicking that my dictionary associates with the word.

Well, let me throw my hat into the ring by saying that this record (yes, this actually is a record review), The Starvations’ Gravity’s a B----, is a delightful romp through love, loss, and bitterness. 

Just imagine if your friends started a band that rarely practiced, only played at house parties, and tried to throw into the mix as many instruments as they could find and shove into their cars before the show.  This is that band.

The energy The Starvations exude through their combination of folk, rock, quasi-blues and punk rock attitude comes across clearly and makes for a genuinely fun listen.  While the band isn’t particularly tight and the muddy production leaves a lot to be desired, it’s really all about having an alcohol-soaked, expletive-riddled good time.  With vocals that mix the sounds and attitudes of the Clash, Bright Eyes, Calibretto, and the Murder City Devils and instruments ranging from guitar to accordion to all manner of noise and tones, Gravity’s a B---- is a diverse and interesting record worthy to be described as a genuine "romp."