Starflyer 59’s Silver is a landmark album that brought heavier sounds to shoegaze, shaping the genre’s modern identity. As one of the most pivotal bands of the ’90s shoegaze scene, Starflyer 59 often gets overshadowed in the genre’s history. À La Carte Records pays tribute to their influence with All My Friends Who Play Guitar: A Tribute to Starflyer 59, featuring contributions from some of their favorite current shoegaze acts. The compilation showcases artists like Doused, Bedroom Eyes, All Under Heaven, Clear Capsule, Spirits of Leo, Broken Head, and Bonded, each putting their own spin on the legacy that Starflyer 59 built.
Clear Capsule bursts onto the compilation with their take on 1994’s Hazel Would, a cover that grabs the original by the collar and dusts off the last three decades with a fresh new polish. The Los Angeles outfit, led by frontman Bryce Pulaski, brings a certain fury to this classic. Pulaski reimagines it entirely, pouring in a level of ingenuity by taking the relentless drive of the original track and layering it with a towering wall of noise, blaring feedback, and drumming so intense it feels like it could crack concrete.
Hazel Would alludes to the sting of betrayal, capturing a clash of weariness and want, torn between the urge to escape and the need to stay. “Honestly, I’d rather sleep, but you’re holding me to it all,” they admit, caught in the crossfire of their own emotions. There’s a craving to lift someone up while bracing for the inevitable fall, suggesting a tangled bond filled with devotion and doubt. It’s a confession of conflict, where love and regret dance in the shadows, leaving the speaker balancing on a tightrope of longing and lingering guilt.
The sinister video, directed by JJ Degen, spins a driving tale as dark as a moonless midnight in the City of Angels. A shadowy figure grips the wheel tight, eyes darting to the rearview, glancing back at the package on the seat beside him. Inside, a bubble-wrapped head bobs with every turn, every jolt—who it belongs to is anybody’s guess.
But the questions don’t end there. Who—or what—is he running from? The figure’s frantic pace and tense expression tell a story of desperation and dread. There’s something in his eyes, a mix of fear and determination, as if he knows this drive leads nowhere good. And what’s in store at the end of this midnight run? A reckoning, a reveal, or perhaps just another twist in a city full of dead ends and dark alleys. The mystery deepens with every mile; heads will roll.
Listen to Clear Capsule’s cover of “Hazel Would” below:
All My Friends Who Play Guitar: A Tribute to Starflyer 59 is out November 7th via A La Carte Records.
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