Northstar were a four-piece emo/pop punk band from Huntsville, Alabama that formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2005. In that time, they evolved quite a bit. While starting off as a melodic hardcore band with chunky, metallic riffs, throughout their run of early demos you can gradually hear the Jawbreaker, Sunny Day Real Estate, Knapsack, and The Get Up Kids influence seep in, right up to the release of their debut LP. Is This Thing Loaded? is a rambunctious effort with driving, distorted guitars, while their sophomore album Pollyanna is a little cleaner, more reserved, and effortlessly catchy in its overlayed vocals, dual guitars, and melodic embrace. Both albums were put via Triple Crown Records before they broke up, with only a compilation release coming posthumously of various demos and acoustic stuff (including a damn good cover of Jawbreaker's "Chesterfield King"). Though contemporaneous with a little of similitude to the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Further Seems Forever, The Early November, and Hot Rod Circuit, Northstar never quite got the recognition they deserved, and if you're into the aforementioned bands, you are going to undoubtedly love this. Enjoy.
