Last year, Star Island's debut EP stood alone in my music collection. Not because it smelt or had a weird substance smeared across the front cover but rather because I had nothing quite so leftfield in what I consider a varied assortment of records. The point is, Star Island are different and challenging which means it's not always easy to listen to but for those with a keen ear the reward is great.

I suitably raved about their last record so to me at least this lates effort was eagerly awaited and full of expectation. The records title 'FB Aight' shows that the band have a sense of humor as it's derived from a comedy sketch of British comedian Ali G. This title however is misleading in that the only humor you will find here is most likely the dry kind with a dash of irony in the lyrics. When a band has a strings section provided by an orchestra you know they mean serious business and take great pride in their art.

Two songs from the previous effort have found there way onto this new release. 'Hazitall' is emotive as ever and given new life with the added depth provided by improved production and yet more samples. The downside being that the music is busier and has less room to breath. The shear amount of sounds and goings on can prove a distraction, when in fact, a stripped down version of this song would have equally as much impact without running the risk of overwhelming the listener. Vocally the song has not changed at all which is in stark contrast to 'Dance Contest Winner' where Anthony's vocals have improved and have taken on a Radiohead vibe yet still in keeping with his own eccentric style.

'Worsworth' and 'Land Shark' show that the band have plenty more tricks up their sleeve. The latter with its punchy chorus and spiraling piano ads a much welcome upbeat tempo to an otherwise melancholy orientated record.

With this record Star Island have clearly attempted to develop there sound and whist in most respects they have achieved this, they have still succumb to many pit falls associated with trying to experiment. Notably they have a tendency to be a little over self indulgent whereby the listener feels alienated and bored when the band veer into long drawn out sequences. Much like a guitarist can get caught up in his own solo's, star island can use drum loops and patterns to similar effect.

After all is said and done Star Island are still one of my favorite bands on the underground scene and this is why I'm so critical. It's taken me many months to review this record for the very reason that it is a record that deserves time devoted to it. Whilst I still prefer the darkness and rawness of songs like 'Mr October' on their previous effort this is still strong in its own right.....Pink Floyd didn't make 'the wall' overnight.