STARRY EYES – ‘Ciao Bella II’ [EP] [Album Review]

SoCal grunge/pop/rock outfit STARRY EYES recently released their EP, Ciao Bella II, a collection of songs mirroring the band’s heartrending emotional response to the loss of drummer Matthew Scoggins and frontman Kyle Tekiela’s coping with his father’s heroin addiction.

Tekiela shares, “Ciao Bella II is our way of honoring Matthew and all the beauty and pain he brought into our lives, as well as confronting my own struggles with my father’s addiction. It’s a somber farewell to the past and an optimistic look toward what’s to come. We’ve poured our hearts into these tracks, turning our grief and personal battles into a celebration of life even in the darkest of times.”

Ciao Bella II is also the soundtrack to a new True Crime Podcast scheduled to premiere early next year. Produced by iHeart Radio and Tenderfoot TV, the podcast is about Tekiela’s father’s purported connections to the Chicago Mafia.

Tekiela, who hosts the podcast, explains, “These songs were written with many of these stories of murder and crime as premise, so it’s only fitting that they serve as a musical accompaniment. It’s all part of one great big fucked up story that I think audiences will absolutely love.”

Produced by Mark Rankin, who has worked with Queens of The Stone Age, Spoon, and Weezer, Ciao Bella II comprises six tracks, beginning with “Polaroid,” a gleaming, almost prog-rock instrumental that sets the stage with a psychedelic intro flowing into beautifully wistful melody.

Entry points include “Aloha,” with its beguiling off-tempo, staccato rhythm topped by Tekiela’s richly structured vocals, imbuing the lyrics with suggestions of affectionate farewell. Dark and heavy, “Trouble” flexes on thick guitars, dripping with bluesy savors and gritty textures.

STARRY EYES in 2024, photo by Preston Thalindroma

A personal favorite because of its captivating intro, “Party Talk” features glittering, almost jangly guitars, soft, radiant vocal harmonies, and Tekiela’s dreamy, melodic timbres. A delicious, choppy bridge shifts the feel of the melody, leading to a pensive interlude, followed by the brilliant outro.

Infused with raw emotional vulnerability, “Frost On The Pane” rolls out on gentle, melancholic-tinged guitars supported by tender, sweeping strings. Tekiela’s tender vocals imbue the lyrics with intimacy and introspection, evoking a passionate truce.

With an intoxicating mix of alt-rock elements, STARRY EYES channels both sorrow and expectation, purging an overwhelming array of feelings.

Ciao Bella II Track Listing:

1. Polaroid
2. Aloha
3. Trouble
4. Party Talk
5. Tape Out
6. Frost On The Pane

Run Time: 17:21
Release Date: October 25, 2024
Record Label: Independent