Customer Reviews

All Gas No Brake

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

All Gas, No Brake is the debut album by pop-punk band Stellar Kart. It's a smart, fresh power-punk sound that fuses engaging lyrics with catchy melodies, designed to appeal to the teenage crowd but still sounding pretty good to the ears of someone who thinks he remembers what high school was like (er, that'd be me). The band members are all still fairly freshly minted high school graduates themselves (all of them are between 20-23), and the focus of their album is reflected in its title: they're going full speed ahead.

Initially, I thought they sounded like a younger version of Relient K, a band whose sound has matured over the course of its four studio albums (Relient K's most recent release, mm-hmm, came out last fall). I have to admit that's funny too: not so long ago, Relient K was a high school punk band. But while their music sounds reminiscent of Relient K or a clever synthesis of such groups as Green Day or Blink-182, ultimately Stellar Kart manages to produce their own unique concoction of pop, punk, and faith. Like many teenagers today, band members Adam Agee (vocals, guitar), Jordan Messer (drums), Cody Pellerin (guitar), and Tay Sitera (bass) enjoy living the "extreme" life; they also believe that "you can be a Christian and still rock."

Their songs have a level of personal meaning and message - for example, "Superstar" is a song about teen suicide, something that the band members indicate has affected them personally. "Second Chances" is about recovering from life's mistakes, and "Student Driver" reflects the difficulty of trying to speed through life on our own. The album also includes a cover of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," and I have to admit that I found it hilarious (probably unintentionally so) that they would say "we were thrilled to put our own spin on this classic tune." Then again, it's been almost twenty years, hasn't it Jon? That really puts a whole 'nother perspective on the notion of "classic rock." Let's just say that when I was growing up, Bon Jovi was hardly what you'd call a classic.

Anyway, I enjoyed the enthusiasm reflected on this album by four guys who obviously enjoy life and who also think there's something else (as they put it on the song "Life is Good," their attitude is, "Life is good/eternal life is better"). The production values are solid and the songs are engaging and fun. The frantic punk pace of something like "Student Driver" manages to slide nicely into the more melodic "A Love Song," and I have to admit that I'm still trying to decipher the lyrics on "Tree Climber," a 23-second explosion of energy and sound. All in all, it's a very nice debut; here's hoping they do indeed keep going "full steam ahead."

Note: This review was also posted on Blogcritics.org and my personal site, Walloworld.com

I am self-admittedly a "music snob"--I tend to look down on anything trendy or unoriginal. I did not get this CD expecting much at all, and on first listen, Stellar Kart sounded like every other pop/punk act out there. After a few spins, however, I came to appreciate Stellar Kart for it's own unique sound--"all gas. no brake" is definitely one of the best (if not the best) debut albums of the year.

From start to finish, this album is packed with infectious riffs and hooks, upbeat lyrics, and an overall earnestness that makes this CD just plain fun to listen to. While their sound isn't terrifically original, Stellar Kart takes the worn out genre of pop/punk and makes it sound fresh again. I also highly enjoy the acoustic songs, which texture the album perfectly.

I would highly reccommend this album to everyone. The lyrics are open, honest, and unashemedly Christian. The music is energetic, fun, and upbeat. "all gas. no brake" is just fun to listen to. Go out and get it.

This album is amazing, the band is amazing.

I recently had the most awesome time seeing these guys perform on tour(Kutless/BarlowGirl tour)...and had a chance to chat with the guys after the show. They've been a band for 3 years now, and this is their first major debut album...and a fine one it is. The guys are skilled and full of powerful, exploding talent that is displayed beautifully in each track.

This CD is great to listen to anytime. You won't regret buying it. I can still hear Stellar Kart chanting:"Life is good, eternal life is beter"

Stellar Kart is developing quite a fan-base, and is on their way to super-stardom, and many more rad reviews like this one.

Each track is great.
Tree-climber is so much fun, a short song about a wee little man(Zacchaeus lol! )
and SK's cover of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a prayer" will make you scream.
All in all: Great up-and-coming band, with a great debut CD...what more could you want??

oh and btw:
Thanx for the autograph SK!!!!!!

The originality here is all brake, no gas, but with that said, it's a fun jamming pop/punk album that doesn't let up from start to finish. Comparable to the older "Relient K" sound. Good for when you just need to rock a little. Good solid sound and good cd production. I appreciate the clean lyrics and will enjoy hanging on to this one. I'll probably look into buying their follow-up after this purchase.

I bought this cd after only hearing 'life is good' on the radio one time. I am very happy I bought it. It reminds me a lot of Relient K and Hawk Nelson, which to me is a great thing. Good lyrics, great tunes, one of my new favorite cd's. Definately will buy anything they release after this cd.

This cd is awesome!!! I like all but one song on the whole cd! They remind me a lot of relient k with their up beat songs, rambunctious drums and guitar riffs. You have to buy this cd!

All gas and no brake is okay. I expected Stellar Kart to be something new and fun. I was hoping for them to sound more like Blink182- but it seems I expected too much. They sound ALOT like RElient K. We already have an R.K., we don't need another. Stellar Kart's songs all sound the same and their lyrics aren't that deep. To me, a good Christian Rock Band has lyrics that really make you think "wow, i never thought of that before" or "That's exactly how i feel sometimes". This Cd only made me think "Did Matt Theisen quit RElient K and start this band?" RK isn't bad-I happen to be a huge fan. It was a good first try for Stellar Kart. However, if they make another CD, I hope it's way better than this one.

I noticed that a lot of people say that MxPx and The Supertones are a lot better than my favorite bands. I also noticed that everybody says that my favorite bands are overdone. I agree that the style is used a lot, but the point is not the style. It's the words and the way the music gets into your soul. The think I like about listening to a CD, is that I feel like I know the singer after I listen to it.

This is a great CD, and I think that you'd like it if you like other bands like them. Such as Reliant K, Hawk Nelson, Sanctus Real, and a lot of Kutless fans also like them.

Well, at the second half of the CD. "Love Song" and "Finish Last" aren't exactly the best worship songs in the world, but they're still pretty good. In fact I used one for a Bible Study. "Life Is Good" is good. Wow! Who knew that?

The rest of the songs are the poor man's Relient K. Yeah, they're better than some of the lame excuses in music nowadays. The album is short, fast, and will leave you wanting more, of that. They didn't provide that with the second CD. You see what you get, what it looks like, is what it looks like, that's Stellar Kart. Take them or leave them.

This punk/pop quartet from Phoenix storms onto the scene with their powerful debut, All Gas No Brakes. From the opening riffs of "Student Driver" you know you're in for a power-packed ride through 10 SK originals, plus a uniquely Kart cover of Bon Jovi's classic "Livin' On A Prayer." The album's chart hits are of course top-notch, hook-laden tunes you'll find yourself singing at work and in the car: "Life Is Good", "Finish Last", and "Student Driver." The boys' punk influences grab you by the throat and set your fist defiantly in the air on "Spending Time", "Gone Fishin'", and "Second Chances." The inspirational "Superstar" is a strong statement against teen suicide, while "Come Back Home" drips with the deep emotions of a long-distance romance. The infamously short, 29-second "Tree Climber" will take it's place in your "weird but soooo cool" file. I saw the boys from Stellar Kart in concert in September '06 at HersheyPark, PA, and they rocked the house!! It was the highest energy set I've perhaps ever seen -- just fabulous! Go see them if you can, at the very least purchase this stellar debut album.