Once upon a time, Greta Van Fleet felt like the next big thing for rock music, the next “Rock's Hottest Ticket,” if you will (and understandably so). Their Led Zeppelin-like sound inevitably got them attention, and now, three albums in, the group has hit a wall. Their latest album, Starcatcher, is a vast improvement upon their last album but still leaves a lot to be desired.

Starcatcher review

To be clear, I am a Greta Van Fleet fan (or “Fetus,” as my cousin calls the fan base). Their first full-length album, Anthem of a Peaceful Army, was the soundtrack to many of my freshman year memories in college. Nostalgia aside, I admired how the band seemed to combine the sounds of Led Zeppelin and Blues Traveler. Each track had an identity — with some non-singles like “Brave New World” and “The New Day” standing as tall as the album's singles — something that their last two albums cannot say.

If nothing else, Greta Van Fleet knows how to start (finishing is another story). “Safari Song” kicks off their debut EP, From the Fires, and is one of the group’s biggest hits. Their debut album (and still their best), Anthem of the Peaceful Army, started with “Age of Man.”

But it was their second full-length album, The Battle at Garden’s Gate, that set a new standard for the group with “Heat Above” starting things off. The ambient organ beginning builds to one of the group’s best anthems with lead singer Josh Kiszka’s newfound vocal confidence on full display. It was going to be impossible for Greta Van Fleet to top “Heat Above” or “Safari Song,” but they did their best with “Fate Of The Faithful.” It's not nearly as memorable and merely serves as the album opener equivalent to wallpaper. 

This is a recurring issue, though. The biggest issue with the band is that they have no distinct sound — that is unless you want to state the obvious and call them a Led Zeppelin ripoff. Their past two albums have run into an issue where multiple songs sound the same, and in the case of Greta Van Fleet, it generally sounds like Jake Kiszka’s licks carry from one song to the next. Seeing them live, the issue is amplified. I could not tell you the difference between “Age of Machine” and “Weight of Dreams.” 

But, honestly, being compared to one of the greatest rock bands ever shouldn't be taken as a slight. In the past, members such as Jake Kiszka claimed Led Zeppelin wasn't an “overwhelming influence” on their music. Sure, he did acknowledge how high of a  compliment being compared to them is, but it still feels like they are running away from that. Running from the problem only makes it more awkward when your music continues to borrow from Robert Plant and Co.

That said, Greta Van Fleet always packs a gem or two in their albums. The Battle at Garden’s Gate was underwhelming, to say the least, but “My Way, Soon,” “Light My Love,” and “Caravel” are some of their best work. It just gets bogged down with the likes of “Built By Nations” and “The Weight of Dreams.”

On Starcatcher, their standout is “Meeting the Master” — the album’s lead single (and for good reason) — which opens with an ethereal guitar riff that channels the spirits of Jimmy Page and Cat Stevens. But for once, the song doesn't rush into an anthemic climax — it builds before reaching its crescendo. 

Luckily, the band shows some self-awareness, and no 10+ minute tracks are found on Starcatcher. Their latest album features two fewer songs and runs over 20 minutes shorter, which in most cases, sounds like a downgrade. In the case of Greta Van Fleet, less is more, and they don’t ever overexpose themselves as egregiously as they did on their sophomore album. If anything, their biggest limitation is their lack of variety in their musical arrangements. 

Starcatcher at least has “Runway Blues,” which is nothing more than a segue, and “Waited All Your Life.” Those two tracks divvy away from the sound a little bit. I'll even throw in “The Falling Sky,” which leans into the blues sound similar to “Runway Blues,” but no amount of Bob Dylan-like harmonica playing can justify the lack of that sound elsewhere on the album outside of two tracks. This is what made songs like “You're the One” and “Mountain of the Sun” stand out on the Anthem of the Peaceful Army. It feels like we're light years away from those days.

Plus, for as much as the strength of Josh Kiszka’s voice has improved from album to album, there's almost no variety in the style of his singing. There aren't any real ballads like “Anthem” that allow him to even attempt to sing in a different way than the Robert Plant style. Even “Light My Love” showed a little versatility on their last album. Starcatcher leaves us with constant shrieks that hide behind guitar licks.  

Greta Van Fleet has yet to soar when it comes to their lyrics, and Starcatcher is no exception. Josh Kiszka has a lot of ambitious ideas as seen in his pre-show monologue that plays over the loudspeakers on their last tour, but oftentimes, they have a lot to say but don't unlock the words to do so. Not every songwriter can be as poetic as Bono, nor can they get a serious message as silly as Paul McCartney can, but it often feels like Josh is spewing out word fluff. It comes off as if the band wants to spread some all-important message as heady as world peace, but they make their lyrics so vague in hopes that you'll be entranced by Josh's screams and not even try to decipher what they're actually trying to say.

Should you listen to Starcatcher? 

Where does Greta Van Fleet go from here? The last track on Starcatcher is titled “Farewell For Now,” and while it's likely just a cheeky way of the band saying goodbye to listeners when they finish the album, perhaps what the young group needs is a bit of time away. They've been touring the past few years — and they put on a great show — between their past two albums and are gearing up for their biggest tour yet that will see them headline arenas including Madison Square Garden. However, they've grown stagnant in their sound. 

I still applaud Greta Van Fleet's efforts to save rock and roll, but an album that truly reinvents them may be in order if they want longevity. The group is very young, which works in their favor. Whether or not they decide to actually act on that remains to be seen. Starcatcher remains a step forward from their past album, but at least three steps back from their early work. Maybe they peaked with “Safari Song,” “When the Curtain Falls,” and “You're the One.”

Grade: C-

Starcatcher is available now.