Starcleaner Reunion Blends Nostalgia and Nuance in Debut Album Umbrella

Starcleaner Reunion emerged from the shadows of suburban New Jersey, initially as a side project fueled by years of friendship and shared musical obsession. Their 2022 EPs caught attention with their surreal visuals and unexpectedly polished, euro-chic sound. The band’s name, borrowed from a children’s book, reflects a whimsical yet nostalgic sensibility that permeates their music and aesthetic, blending childhood innocence with a love for complex arrangements. Their debut album, Umbrella, arrives after two years of meticulous crafting, showcasing a wide-ranging palette of textures and influences.

The core of the band—vocalist Jo Roman, bassist Adam Kenter, and guitarists Pat Drummond and Neil Torman—met in high school and gradually reconnected through a shared passion for records and experimental sounds. Their small hometown made musical bonds inevitable, with members hopping between bands and configurations over the years. The reunion was less about nostalgia and more about a shared desire to push their sound into new territory, combining vintage sensibilities with contemporary flair.

Roman’s voice is a central thread, weaving dreamy melodies that evoke both intimacy and charisma. Tracks like showcase her ability to paint vivid scenes with unguarded vulnerability, layered over motorik beats and jazzy shifts. The album’s lush arrangements—full of keyboard textures, brass accents, banjo, and even an aluminum cello dubbed the demonstrate a band unafraid to experiment with surprising twists. Built without concern for live replication, Umbrella feels like a hi-fi transmission from a parallel universe, a joyful collage of stylish sounds rooted in underground music history.

The band’s approach reflects their deep immersion in the pre-internet underground scene, reconfigured for a new generation of listeners. Their nostalgic yet forward-thinking style is a testament to their longstanding camaraderie and shared musical curiosity. As Torman notes, the name and aesthetic were selected more for their vibe than any literal connection to the story. The band’s visual language—surreal cartoons and sketchy illustrations—further emphasizes their playful, slightly disorienting universe, inviting listeners to escape into a colorful, textured world.

You can stream Umbrella now, and the album’s intricate arrangements and Roman’s evocative vocals invite multiple listens. Behind the scenes, the band members describe their friendship as the foundation for the project—built over years of trading records, forming bands in high school, and reconnecting after college. Their collective experience fuels the album’s eclectic, layered sound, which balances sophistication with a sense of fun. It’s a celebration of music geek camaraderie that’s both rooted in nostalgia and boldly inventive.