Formed in November 2023 by seasoned musicians Neil Burkdoll and Craig Douglas, the duo behind Bright Like Stars seeks to recreate the unpredictability and excitement of early ’90s alternative rock, all while rooted in the shoegaze tradition.
Their debut album, “Reflections,” aims to take listeners on a nostalgic journey without falling into the trap of mere imitation. Drawing inspiration from the bleakness of Godflesh and Jesu, the energy of Torche, the noise of My Bloody Valentine, and the speed of Face to Face, the band’s new 10-tracker offers a distinct flavor, paying homage to the bands that shaped their youth.
What’s intersting in Bright Like Stars‘ story is their unconventional creative process. With Neil temporarily residing in Germany and Craig based in the United States, the album was entirely crafted through trading files over the internet.
Remarkably, the two have never met in person or shared the same studio space. This remote collaboration adds a layer of modernity to their retro-inspired project, highlighting the possibilities of contemporary music production.
“We wanted the listener to have a similar experience to when we first heard ‘Check Your Head’ by The Beastie Boys in 1992—you didn’t know what was coming next from song to song,” the band explains. This ethos is present throughout “Reflections,” where each track stands on its own yet contributes to a cohesive whole.
Avoiding the lengthy delays often associated with record labels and vinyl manufacturing, Neil and Craig opted for a swift, independent release. Their goal was to keep the music fresh, both for themselves and their audience, offering the album for free and embracing the DIY spirit of the bands they admire.
“Reflections” invites listeners to revisit the sounds of the ’90s through a contemporary lens, without succumbing to nostalgia or rehashing old ideas.
Check out the band’s in-depth track-by-track commentary, which will provide further insight into the creative process behind each song.
Ever Fading
Neil Burkdoll – I used to have a band 20 years ago that was very inspired by Godflesh and early ISIS that went nowhere, so I decided to reuse the verse riff from one of those old songs and that became the main verse and starting point of Ever Fading. I knew that I wanted something a bit slower that hinted at something darker with this song and I’m really happy with how the first half is sort of a bit of a downer but the last half starts to let some sunshine through the clouds. Craig did a great job of creating some nice flowing vocals that bring up the energy on the choruses and sort of emphasize a more epic feeling that I think pops up on a few other songs throughout the album. When I was finishing up the final mix of this song, I started to hear it as an album opener that would set the mood but also let fans of my other band Whimsical know that this was indeed something different than maybe what they were originally expecting. We could have picked a song with more energy or perhaps a bigger chorus as an opener, but I think Ever Fading sets up the album with a better mood overall. But don’t worry, the more energetic song comes soon enough.
Craig Douglas – Upon receiving the music for this track, it gave me a sort of metaphysical vibe, so I wanted the overall mood to stay that way lyrically. While mostly open to interpretation, like a lot of my lyrics, this one touches on consciousness and the spirits who guide us.
Star Dust
Neil – There are a few songs on Reflections that started off as ideas for my other band Whimsical. Star Dust was originally recorded for the as yet unreleased 5th Whimsical album but my singer Krissy heard it and immediately said it was too “Rock” for us, so I shelved it for something else in the future. When I decided to start a new project in October of 2023, I knew that I had this song already recorded and would want to use it for the new band right away. Once Craig was on board as the singer, I immediately started to revamp this song with a different drum sound that would be used throughout the album and I believe it was the second song I sent him to write vocals for and again he knocked it out of the park. The song is almost as if the Power Pop of Torche was mixed with the flowing of Slowdive and ends with some early Smashing Pumpkins vibes. It sounds weird on paper but I think it works when you hear it.
Craig – This track is about growing up and coming to terms with that overall feeling of trying to figure out what life is all about and ultimately our mortality. I was pretty young when I thought about the idea of us all going back into the universe as dust once this experience is over.
Reeling
Neil – I purposely don’t do any Glide guitar of backwards reverb in Whimsical so as to not sound like everyone else, but Bright Like Stars gave me an excuse not to care and to just have fun when writing a song. I used a completely different guitar sound on Reeling, as well as the song Home, so I could take advantage of owning a bunch of fuzz pedals and backwards reverb that I never get to use otherwise. I wanted to take the “Broken” guitar sounds as far as I could while still making it musical and memorable. I hear some early Medicine in the way the lead guitar lines sound crazier than I would normally would use and I love it. I tried to make the middle bridge have more energy and it sort of reminds me of peak era Torche and again, Craig did an epic vocal on that middle bridge that really makes the song shine.
Craig – Essentially this song is about being an outsider. Someone who is very aware of their surroundings and hiding in the shadows while everyone else is oblivious that they’re there.
The Healing
Neil – I generally write everything on an acoustic guitar and I came up with this verse and chorus one day and it instantly reminded me of something slower that you might hear from Jesu or as if Deserta decided to cover a Godflesh song. The middle bridge sneaks in some Dream Pop before the atmospheric solo comes crashing in and brings us back to the bleakness of the chorus and hopefully leaves you with the feeling that maybe not everything is as it should be.
Craig – I was aiming for a call and response type vocal line for this one between the human and a philosopher. The song is really about waking up and disassociating yourself from the traumas of the past, the worries of the future and just remaining present.
The Less You Know
Neil – The verse and chorus of this song had been laying around for about 2 years and I had no idea what to do with it. It is almost Pop Punk in nature but with a few tremolo bends in there to make it different. Once I decided to finish it for Bright Like Stars, I just dove in head first and decided to make it for lack of a better term, Pop Punkgaze, and use some of the traditional elements that you would hear in a Blink 182 song while also adding my own personality to it. It was meant to be fun and not taken too seriously and I think it does its job pretty well. Craig used a slightly different vocal style on this song than he did on any other song on the album and I think it works really well.
Craig – For some reason this song brought me back to my teenage years. It reminded me of how I felt back then… all my teen angst and being so gullible of what love was. It’s sort of a conglomeration of those feelings and experiences.
Entangled
Neil – I had originally written the music for Entangled back in 2003 for the Sleep to Dream album by Whimsical, but it was never used and it had been sitting around ever since. When I was writing songs for this album, I remembered this song and went searching for the demo on an old hard drive in my drawer. I figured even if we didn’t use it on the album, it could be used as a B-Side or bonus track. I figured out how to play it again and recorded it in maybe three days total. Craig took a liking to it and the next thing I knew, I had vocals sitting in my inbox waiting to be used on the track. The verses and bridges are a bit happy but I do like the energy of the choruses and Craig does a great job of making the middle section sound epic with his vocals.
Craig – A song about overcoming whatever bad hand may have been dealt in whatever circumstance in life. Could be pertaining to a relationship, a job or any life situation. It’s about freeing yourself from it and adapting to change.
Home
Neil – This was my other attempt at writing something more in the style of My Bloody Valentine, but if I’m being honest, it sounds more like if Glia wrote a song that somehow had Pop Punk choruses. The root notes on the chorus have been used in thousands of songs, but damn it, it always works and Craig saved it from sounding like everyone else. The middle section is another example of how Craig can make anything sound epic and catchy as Hell when he wants to.
Craig – The song is about feeling a shift happening in our current time on this planet. It’s about some people waking up to the idea that old ways aren’t working and knowing for sure that through the dark times, there’s a light at the end.
Unaligned
Neil – This one was a total experiment and something that I have wanted to do for at least 30 years. I always loved how Lush blended Dream Pop and Punk energy with their song Superblast, so I wanted to take their idea but use the band Face to Face as my blueprint. If you know any of the early Face to Face songs from their 90’s albums, they used a lot of open chords with what we refer to as the Face to Face drum beat. I quickly wrote a song using that beat at the tempo they usually use and wrote the music using open chords in the way Superblast was written. Originally Craig thought I expected him to sing a bunch of fast vocals over it but I told him to listen to Superblast and to listen how they hold their voices while the chords change under them. He instantly understood and did a great job keeping the vocals flowing over the music.
Craig – It’s about feeling like you’re in some sort of alternate reality and observing closely what’s happening there. It’s about embracing it and not fighting or finding a way out because you don’t really have one.
The End
Neil – I wasn’t sure if The End would make the cut but it sounds like something that would close out an album. The original idea was again, Godflesh/Jesu inspired, but if you listen carefully, you will hear a Fear Factory influence in how they end some of their earlier albums. I knew I wanted another slow song but somehow more stripped down with a simple atmosphere and I think The End captures that very well. Once again, Craig really captures that epic and grandiose feeling with his vocals in the middle bridge and I think that certainly sealed the deal with The End making the album.
Craig – I wanted this one to feel more interpretive but ultimately it touches on enjoying life especially at the end of it and making peace with any loose ends so there are no regrets.
On the Other Side
Neil – This was another Whimsical song that was not used for our Melt album a few years back because it was deemed too “Rock” sounding. I originally tried out a few vocalists using the original recording and Craig did an amazing job vocally bringing the catchiness that I felt the music had and that’s how he became the singer of the band. I completely re-recorded it from scratch and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out once his vocals were added. The reason why it ended up closing out the album, and not The End, was because the whole ending of the song gives me that “Last Song” vibe and I sort of liked not ending the album with the darker tone of The End.
Craig – This one is about the adult version of you telling your younger self all the things you wish you learned from your younger experiences.
