Expect the Impossible

by Stellar Kart

Overview

One of the anticipated miracles to which the album title may have referred was the very survival of Christian "punk-pop/rock," Stellar Kart's sound of choice. The genre had become a tough sell by 2008; fellow punk pioneers Relient K, for instance, were relying on a continual reinvention to remain relevant even in the eyes of their most devoted fans. With the initial appeal of "speed rock" long gone, Adam Agee and the rest of the Stellar Kart crew looked to change their formula only slightly for their third release. Producer Ian Eskelin's m.o. was to "meet listeners where they are," i.e., broaden their sound to appeal to a larger fan base. Their degree of success depends on the listener's taste for punk-pop. The quality of Stellar Kart's craft has never been in doubt, as they proved once again their ability to churn out three-minute power-chord gems. A lack of greater depth and diversity, however, limited the band from truly breaking out on this album. By "varying their sound," they apparently meant adding stabs of synth atop the crunchy guitars and occasionally slowing down the tempo. It worked well, thanks to that same peppy charm that catapulted Good Charlotte and the All-American Rejects to the forefront. Unlike their secular counterparts, however, Stellar Kart had a substantive message to back up their studio optimism, rounding out the album with impressive calls to action on tunes like "Pray" and "Automatic." However long punk-pop would remain viable after its release, Expect the Impossible seemed to embody the best qualities of the genre. ~ Jared Johnson

Product Details

Release Date:	05/15/2020
Label:	Word / Word Distribution
UPC:	0080688729622

Tracks

1. Innocent
2. Automatic
3. Jesus Loves You
4. The Right One
5. Sunshine
6. Pray
7. Shine Like the Stars
8. Eyes
9. I Give Up
10. Letters

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Stellar Kart   Primary Artist
Adam Agee   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards
David Davidson   Strings
David Angell   Strings
Ian Eskelin   Keyboards
Brian Calcara   Guitar (Bass)
Ronn Tabb   Cowbell
Jordan Messer   Drums

Technical Credits

Ian Eskelin   Audio Production,Composer,Producer
Adam Agee   Composer
Tim Lauer   String Arrangements
Otto Price   A&R,Executive Producer
Barry Weeks   Producer,Audio Engineer,Vocal Engineer,Audio Production
J.R. McNeely   Mixing
Steve Blackmon   Mixing,Mixing Assistant
Aaron Shannon   Engineer,Programming
Jamie Kiner   A&R
Dan Shike   Mastering
Jordan Messer   Composer