New Releases: The Hanging Stars

I feel like I take London band The Hanging Stars for granted. When I get into conversations about my favorite bands and albums for the past decade, I tend to overlook them; yet every time they release a new album I'm running around shouting about how much I love it. Maybe they're just too reliably consistent? 

Just A Day is the band's sixth LP since 2016 (seventh if you count 2025's Dreams, where they backed 60s folk singer Bonnie Dobson--which you probably should, because it's great). And once again, it's another gently effervescent collection of cosmic American jangle, blending bits of Teenage Fanclub/Cosmic Rough Riders, Gram Parsons, Beachwood Sparks, and even a touch of 70s yacht rock. Shimmering folk/country-rock with loads of chiming guitars and heavenly harmonies, it's mostly mid-tempo mid-afternoon sunshine psychedelia. They amp things up just a tinge on a few tracks, like the catchy pop of "The Glasshouse," the Fanclubby "(Keep On) Making Me Wait," and the Beach Boys/Beachwood Sparks/Eagles collision "Show Me The Way"; while a few tunes find them in particularly mellow mode, reminiscent of their like-minded American cousins Rose City Band (like the lovely, pastoral "My Lucky Charm").

Is it great? Yes. Are all their albums great? Yes. Grab them all on Bandcamp!

"The Glasshouse":

"Show Me The Way":

"All Your Yesterdays":