Stella Diana - Alhena

Naples’ Stella Diana do a decent job of scratching that itch for classic, early 90s alt-rock – better than most bands of late. They cite influences like Pale Saints, Catherine Wheel, and The Stone Roses, all of which come through pretty clearly on their new EP, Alhena, which, at 21 minutes, is just big enough to sink your teeth into. 

‘Shohet’ is a wise choice for an opener, kicking things quickly into high gear with a combination of Heaven or Las Vegas detuned guitars and the energy of Ride at their peak. The melodies are fully formed, and they're difficult to get dislodged from your head. 

‘Govinda’ is another foray into shoegaze textures, full of ‘How Soon is Now?’ Smiths-y swagger. It doesn’t quite have a compelling hook, but cruises along on some powerful rhythms and an infectious bassline.

‘Bill Carson’ is a more sedate post-punk number, and largely does away with the heavy distortion, bringing to mind an optimistic, perhaps a bit defanged, Interpol - not necessarily a bad thing - but it feels like a bit of a lull among more exciting tracks.

You come away from Alhena wishing it were a good bit longer, because there’s clearly potential in this young band to further distinguish themselves in a crowded field of shoegazers.