Cende were a short lived band channeling the short and infectious songwriting qualities of Mark Ryan and Jeff Burke (Marked Men) – and yes, the band name was a reference to Descendents. If you haven’t heard Cende, go listen to songs like Don’t Want To, Bed and End. SO GOOD! So when I read that Lame-O Records were releasing a new “roll your windows down” powerpop project by Cende’s singer Cameron Wisch, my expectations went through the roof. That project is Dust Star and amazingly also includes Justin Jurgens, who not only played in Sirs but is also one half of the amazing new punky powerpop band Ingrates.
Given the people involved and the mark of approval by the ever reliable Lame-O Records, Dust Star is everything I could hope for. Open Up That Heart is a killer debut with instant likeability and infinite replay value. Jurgens and Wisch visit every corner of the powerpop universe on the record. They go from Marked Men/Dirtnap Record territory (Back To The Start, Too Late) to Teenage Fanclub country (Open Up That Heart), to Pixies area (Can’t Stop Thinking Of You) to ’70s arena rock (Work It Out), to garage pop (Feel It Without Trying, Turn Up The Heat). And then there is I’m Waiting For You, which sounds like a mashup of The Zombies and Velvet Underground. Whatever route or direction Dust Star takes, they never get lost. They pile on strong melody after strong melody, and pointed song after pointed song.
Open Up That Heart is the kind of record to skip the wantlist and add to your collection straight away.
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