I see stars // the wheel
The Michigan four-piece returns with an album that blends experimental sounds, and a search for identity.
★★★★★ (5/5)
A decade-long wait for new music can seem intentional or even detrimental for a group. But not every band is like I See Stars. The Wheel marks the band's first full-length in nine long years, their last being the standout 2016 release Treehouse. While the break may have been unintentional, this new record certainly makes for a brand new chapter in the group's story.
That story is told eloquently – and at times emotionally – on the album. Tracks like “Anomaly”, “Drift”', “are we 3ven” and “D4MAGE DONE” (released in 2023), followed by 2024’s “SPLIT”, gave a glimpse of what the band have been cooking over the years. Back with a new take on music, not just lyrically but creatively, with a variety of processes chucked in to create the album. Using a web-based digital wheel to determine which song they would work on, Devin explained, “What I really loved about the wheel concept was it wasn't our choice. It was our choice to leave it to chance, yes, but we trusted the universe to point us in the right direction by spinning the wheel. It started off as a joke but turned into this thing that became really important for us.”
Photo credit: Miranda McDonald
From the opening, it’s clear that The Wheel is meant to be listened to from beginning to end. At its core is a concept, one that is a story told through sound and textures clearly crafted as a product of love, time, and dedication. Beginning with the symbolic sound of a spin on “Spin It”, the album sets in motion a sequence of tracks that create a poignant story arc.
The track list itself mirrors this carefully constructed narrative. The Wheel opens with a loud, hazy urgency, while “D4MAGE DONE” confronts the chaos of social media. From there the journey moves through the weight of “FLOAT”. It’s here where Devin's vocals shine – poetic, bleak, tinged with hope. His voice becomes a beacon of light in the dark, lifted by cathartic harmonies. An invitation for listeners to pause and reflect, those caught in life’s brilliance against its overwhelming moments.
“Flood Lights” takes you by the hand, with its deceptively beautiful sound, it comes with lyrically dark and relatable themes. “Carry on for you” unfolds as a tender, personal story with a flicker of resilience emerging from this onwards. The record shifts slightly with Palaye Royale on “Lost It”, and this is one of the standout tracks. Its lyrics drip with turmoil and confusion yet remain tethered to positivity and hope. Together, both artists question, “Is it going to be alright?” and answer each other's woes with “It’s going to be alright” in an unbeknown reassurance. Devin's clean vocals contrast with Remington’s grittier edge, creating a tension between light and dark, doubt and uncertainty. It plays like voices in your head are locked in a battle, echoing the same sentiment while searching for a real meaning that might not come.
That weight carries over to “Curtain Calls” and has one wondering whether it’s an internal monologue to oneself or fans who love to confine them to a specific box. The lyric “Will you ever love me?” strikes at the heart, while a soaring guitar solo makes the track one of the most gripping of the album. Placing “Anomaly” as the precursor before Curtain Call was the perfect decision. The title's suggestion of being an “imposter” glides nicely into the album's closing confrontation of identity. When the line “finally figured me out” arrives, it feels like they may have just come to peace with that sentiment.
As a whole, The Wheel is a cohesive, emotionally charged piece navigating through pain, grief, and the search for self. Yet it never abandons hope. Instead, it closes, ready to spin again, a metaphor for both the band's past and their future. Reaching two decades together, I See Stars defy the expectation of remaining frozen in their old sounds. Instead, they chose to explore with their sound, vulnerability, and identity in order to grow… And I See Stars have found theirs with The Wheel, and it’s one hell of a spin.
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