Review: Been Stellar, The Fleece – ‘A poetic observation of heady youth and coming-of-age’

Fresh from supporting Fontaines D.C. on the US and Canada leg of their tour, and having released their debut album, Scream From New York, NY, back in the summer, New York’s Been Stellar returned to Bristol, this time at the iconic Fleece.

Opening with the record’s eponymous track, it’s a short but energy packed show from the get-go.

Been Stellar are reprising New York’s music scene. Ranging from angsty punk to atmospheric shoegaze, their live set reflects the grit of growing up in the city. Their lyrics reflect coming-of-age so vibrantly their music sounds like a movie soundtrack.

Passing Judgement is one of the more thrash tracks of the evening with distorted guitars and pulsating rhythms, whilst Manhattan Youth is a bouncing, post-punk heavy chant that sees the audience joining in for a sing-along.

In contrast, Takedown is one of the rarer slow moments in the live set; frontman Sam Slocum plays an acoustic guitar, a new addition to the band, while bassist Nico Brunstein sits on an amp towards the back of the stage by drummer Laila Wayans.

Compared to the last time the quintet played in Bristol, back in May at The Louisiana, there’s been an obvious improvement to both their stage presence and sound. Before, there were points where Slocum’s vocals were engulfed by the strength of the instrumentals, the resonant, nuanced lyrics overshadowed by the force of the music.

However, tonight the vocals are a lot less lost in translation and it’s possible to follow along with the strong visual elements of the songs.

The fuller crowd, squished together in the front few rows, sing along to the majority of the set – something that was yet to be established when the band were last in the city.

Sweet marks the shoegaze-influenced side to the band’s sonics, an ambient, giddy number with the same wistful Americana feel as a Mazzy Star tune. Conveying intense emotions within the poppy style and David Roebuck-esque open chords, it’s one of the stand-out moments of the set.

The pinnacle of the show, however, is undoubtedly Kids 1995, one of the more indie-leaning tracks in their discography. There’s an extended intro, before midway through the opening line, “I watched the movie Kids/And then had a dream about you and me/Where things are different”, the crowd quickly recognise the song and join in – almost louder than Slocum – with arms raised, punching the air.

A couple of friends at the front turn and sing every word in each other’s faces before jumping with wild abandon during the chorus. It encapsulates perfectly how alive the heady youth of Been Stellar’s music makes the listener feel.

Much like the rest of the hour-long set, the track evokes a giddy sense of nostalgia, as though looking through a poetic lens, their own lived experiences being reflected.

In short, Been Stellar’s discography and live shows alike feel less about the actual music and more about the feeling it gives you.

The night closes as the album does with the atmospheric I Have The Answer; a track that has an ‘as the credits roll’ feel to it and, consequently, a real main-character energy.

It begins with Skyler strumming a muted guitar, slowly at first before building up to a more vigorous rhythm, the rest of the band coming in to complete the wall of sound, as the instrumental climaxes and Slocum’s vivid lyrics set the scene.

The crowd is well up for it one last time, an attempt at moshing happening down the front, which eventually doesn’t go much further than almost an aggressive pushing to what is a borderline shoegaze-induced track.

Been Stellar’s return to Bristol was a vital reminder of the effortless, grungy sonics and aesthetics of New York’s music scene almost two decades ago.

All images: Katie Hillier

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