As often history taught to all of us, music is an art form that, through the centuries, was and it's still designed to these days to inspire creativity and to carry within either high energy or calming feelings to human beings.
Moreover, music is the only art capable to distill positive energy through sounds, rather than visually, generating memories that may linger into our brains for short outbursts or even for one's whole lifetime.
To be able to create a longlasting sonic afterglow, for an artist and especially after their initial, successful debut, it is particularly important not only to show that their talents and skills were not just the results of a short-lived outburst of inspiration, but instead they were part of a musical masterplan aimed to last for many years to come.
Perhaps this might (or maybe not) have been the idea behind the making of Robert Fleming and James Sedge's Killerstar second musical instalment, aptly called The Afterglow, following the success and the many praises received by the band from both fans and music press, after their eponymous 2024 debut album was released.
The Afterglow is, at first glance, the most logical sonic continuation to the KillerStar's first record, which makes sense in many ways, lyrically and musically speaking.
Once again, Sedge and Fleming have surrounded themselves with a tried and true line-up of stellar musicians, by rejoining forces on The Afterglow with Earl Slick on guitar duties, Mark Plati on bass and Mike Garson on piano, with several extra Special Guests appearing also on the album, like Gerry Leonard on guitar and Emm Gryner on additional backing vocal duties, among others.
Naturally, the fact that Slick, Garson and Plati have already played together with Fleming and Sedge on KillerStar's first album, it provided already a strong platform for the band on which to build the new songs on.
It needs to be said that Robert Fleming, KillerStar's chief songwriter as well as lead singer and guitarist, has done a truly great job in writing songs that would reflect the meaning of the album’s title, by penning 8 brand new songs that incorporate elements of 70's Glam-Rock, 90's Synth-Pop, 80's Pop-Rock and 00's Ambient, fitting perfectly the uplifting and positive mood contained within the songs' lyrics.
Fleming and Sedge know really well, after working for many years together prior to Killerstar, how to build catchy tunes with a certain musical panache, something that has been KillerStar's trademark sound since the very beginning of the band’s history.
Obviously, switching musical styles within The Afterglow through the support of an array of skilled musicians that have played together for a number of years, as part of David Bowie's musical cast on many studio albums and live tours, might have certainly helped Fleming and Sedge in achieving more rapidly their vision for the new album, by combining efficiency ed elegance in the delivery of KillerStar's new record.
While some may be finding underwhelming (unjustifiably) the fact that the album contains only 8 songs, it's rather important to underline that, very often, less is more, on many albums and The Afterglow is no exception.
Every song off KillerStar's new album has been meticulously treated with the maximum care in the arrangements and the quality of the sound, without using any trickery or AI support, because both Fleming and Sedge wished to achieve the highest level of sonic purity possible in the making of The Afterglow.
Also, every song tells a different tale made of uplifting moods, married with Fleming's unmistakable storytelling singing style and to our website, it is practically impossible to highlight one or more songs as best moments of the album, because, frankly each song take the listeners on a different journey with gusto and great musicianship, stylistically speaking.
From the opening album’s title-track right to the last song of the album, called Invincible, The Afterglow is a breathtaking ride into the metamorphosis of Pop and Rock of 4 decades, where refined melodies and choruses, delicate and often unpredictable piano passages, heavy guitar riffs and tribal drumming style marry together in an incisive, organic way and in perfect harmony.
Through the release of a truly accomplished record like The Afterglow, KillerStar amply demonstrate that the success of their debut album was not a one-off case, confirming at the same time to be one of the most inspired, interesting and imaginative musical projects of the last decade of British music, carrying a very specific and recognisable signature sound.
An unmissable addition to the record collection of every respectable true music lover.
The Afterglow is due to be released on 20th March 2026 and is available to be purchased at Vintage League Music and major record shops worldwide (Rough Trade, Piccadilly Records and many more).
