Starlight Mints - Drowaton

Thus far, Oklahoma’s Starlight Mints have built a steady reputation as a dreamy mini-orchestra of eccentric, often silly indie pop. The Dream That Stuff Was Made Of came out in 2000 as the group’s debut LP, and 2003’s Built on Squares solidified the group’s lovable oddball persona. Now Drowaton takes the most impressive facets the band’s past to culminate in their best of three. The vital elements of the band, and what fans have come to expect—delectable choruses, luscious string arrangements, and Allan Vest’s warm, exultant warbling—pervade nearly the entirety of Drowaton. The first couple of songs are typical Starlight Mints, showcasing tra-la-las and piping hot horns, whereas “What’s Inside of Me” is a rollicking, piano-led pop number. “The Killer” briefly exchanges the previous mood for a borderline rustic, folky demeanor. “Seventeen Devils” is the record’s shining moment, employing Vest’s knack for thinking up charmingly odd scenarios and letting the rest of the group complement him with a blithe abundance of quirky musical passages and handclaps, topping it off with an unforgettable chorus. While the Starlight Mints will probably forever be in the shadow of their more famous Oklahoma brethren with their own brand of weirdo pop music, and have yet to be given their due as far as this reviewer is concerned, Drowaton is the group’s most fully-realized record to date. With a stronger grasp in the composition department and more depth in variety (the tracks aren’t all that similar and tend to shift towards pulling attention to either the musical elements or the hooks, but not simultaneously), plus the some of the catchiest songs in their catalog, the Starlight Mints have made quite another little gem to be gleefully discovered by hipsters in 2031 A.D., but hopefully it won’t get passed up by too many people in the here and now, too. [www.starlightmints.com]