The Life We Planned is the newest recorded effort from French dreampop outfit, My Raining Stars. This EP offers five catchy and contemplative indie pop fingers that together form a fist that packs quite the emotional gut punch.
The EP kicks off with “Mirror 2” which has a feel that combines all the best parts of guitar-based pop rock music from the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s. The locked in drumming and guitars are shot into space with twinkly and starry-eyed synthesizers. The vocals have a longing and emotional quality with tight harmonies that emote feelings of anguish and possibly regret.
“On His Own” begins with a lanky, delayed and phased guitar riff that lumbers around the big, snappy snare drum hits. This track would be right at home in the dramatic scene of a 1980’s movie where someone is walking in slow motion as it rains.
“Summer’s Gone” has another great opening guitar line as we are asked to reflect on the fact that summer is gone and dreams are broken. This melancholy song does a great job of conveying the feel of a cold, rainy autumn day, perfect for reflecting on loves and dreams lost.
“What Can We Do” has big ominous crunchy guitar chords and a bobbing and weaving vocal line that meanders through the little distorted guitar licks and those star-struck synths. The track also has a great melodic solo that delivers the final blow of this track.The title track serves as the record’s farewell. A pared-down affair that begins with a lone strumming guitar and the same yearning vocals that have been with us the entire time. A militant snare drum slowly joins in and after several tension-building measures bursts into a blaze of distorted guitars. We are treated to one final mesmerizing guitar solo before we are left in the somber and destitute state the EP does such a great job of conveying. The Life We Planned is available now.
Written by John Brouk
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