Returning to helm the project is producer Ian Eskelin (All Star United), who also shepherded Stellar Kart’s breakthrough sophomore album, We Can’t Stand Sitting Down. That CD yielded the No. 1 hit, “Me And Jesus,” which also earned the band its first Dove Award for Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year. “Content, content, content,” Eskelin declares. “The music is awesome, the energy is off the charts, but what sets Stellar Kart head and shoulders above the vast majority of its contemporaries is content. These guys are not afraid to say what they believe, straight up, without trying to couch it in some namby-pamby metaphor.”
“We are all fans of different kinds of music, and a lot of times we find ourselves listening to songs that we love, but the message is just terrible,” frontman Agee explains. “We talk with kids after concerts and are always hearing from youth leaders about the issues facing teens today. We wanted to write songs that would address such topics and encourage kids to expect God to work in their daily lives. That is what we have been about from day one. That is what we are still about.”
When Adam, along with bandmates Cody Pellerin (guitar), Jordan Messer (drums), and Brian Calcara (bass) hit the studio, Eskelin’s frenetic energy ignited Stellar Kart’s powder keg of creativity. The result is an explosion of new music chock full of pop melodies, catchy choruses, and singable lyrics.
If it is true that first impressions are the most important, Stellar Kart goes for broke on its first radio single: the blazing, no-holds-barred confessional, “Jesus Loves You.” An impassioned song about conviction and redemption, it cuts through the comfortable shades of gray with an unabashed declaration that “Jesus Loves You,” whether you believe it or not.
“The reason I do what I do now is because of what I didn’t do when I was younger,” Adam explains of the song’s bold lyrics. “I grew up in church; my dad was a pastor. I accepted the Truth at an early age, but I was a kid just trying to get by. I didn’t really do anything with my faith until I got to college. That was when I started to realize there was more to life than just getting by.”
“The bottom line is, we are not doing this just to make music. We want people’s lives to be changed,” Brian interjects.
Stellar Kart proves it can thrive in a broad range of musical realms as Expect the Impossible sustains its momentum with tracks like the classic rock anthem, “Shine Like The Stars” and genre-defying, fist-pumping, “Eyes,” with its synth-laden 80’s groove and Beach Boys-esque, feel-good, summertime melody.
“‘I Give Up’ is hands down my favorite song on the album,” the band’s classically trained guitarist, Cody Pellerin adds. “It’s the kind of song that got me into playing music in the first place. It’s rock ‘n’ roll. It’s Judas Priest meets Van Halen meets Motley Crew. I got to just rip it up on the guitar, which is what I really love to do. I know some people may listen to it and think, ‘Wow, that doesn’t sound like Stellar Kart,’ But this is where we are musically. And I think it is a good progression for us and our fans.”
“Sonically, we wanted to shoot for a broader sound,” Eskelin says. “Stellar Kart has never been afraid to challenge the current trend, so we decided to incorporate some new elements. This album will please the band’s die-hard punk fans while offering something to straight-up pop and rock lovers as well. The goal is to meet listeners where they are, driving an emotional connection to the music.”
Stellar Kart puts an exclamation point on Eskelin’s statement with such diverse tunes as the tender-and-tough pop ballad, “Pray,” in which Adam encourages listeners to ‘Pray...Even if you think you are not good enough.’ The bouncy, infectious, “The Right One,” evokes strains of such pop/rock legends as The Beach Boys, The Cyrkle, and their more contemporary offspring like Weezer and Jimmy Eat World. The happy-go-lucky anthem “Sunshine” boldly asserts that Stellar Kart is as much a bona fide pop band and serious chart contender as it is a punk quartet.
Which is not to say the band has abandoned its punk roots. “Automatic” has enough head-nodding hooks and frantic drum kicks to satisfy punk purists. And frontman Adam Agee even manages a couple of authentic rawk screams on “Eyes” and “Innocent.”
But as satisfying as Stellar Kart’s expanding musical repertoire is, it’s the lyrical honesty coupled with the band’s personal growth that most radically informs Expect the Impossible. “We are a pop band,” Adam explains. “When we made our first record we were young, and it reflected who we were at the time. The next record reflected a natural progression. Expect the Impossible is the next step. It is casting a wider net. It gets more people involved.”
“I love seeing kids attach themselves to something bigger than just school or work or friends or the latest fad,” Brian adds.
Automatic
Stellar Kart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the yanks in the playoffs every year
You're absolutely faithful
I'm positively prone to disappear
But like I breathe
And my heart beats
I wanna love you like it's automatic
Make you into my good habit
You're the only one that really matters
Every minute everyday it's automatically OK
When I make it all about you
It's a mixed up messed up world with
An unsatisfaction guarantee
So I'm pledging my allegiance
To the one and only one
Who can set me free
Just like I breathe
And my heart beats
[Chorus]
But I'm not a robot
Made with no thought
What's the point of living life
Without the will to choose
To run with the have nots
Or go with the sure shot
I'm with you
I wanna love you like it's automatic
Make you into my good habit
You're the only one that really matters
Love you like it's automatic
Make you into my good habit
You're the only one that really matters
Every minute everyday it's automatically OK
When I make it all about you
Gonna make it all about you
The lyrics to "Automatic" by Stellar Kart may seem a bit confusing at first, but upon closer analysis, it's clear that the singer is expressing his desire to be completely devoted to his significant other in a world that often feels chaotic and unsatisfying. He begins by comparing his devotion to his partner to certain inevitable occurrences, such as a phoenix sunrise and the Yankees making the playoffs. He acknowledges the fact that he tends to disappear or lose focus, but his love for his partner is automatic - a habit he wants to make sure he sticks to, no matter what happens.
The singer then goes on to describe how the world we live in is "mixed up" and full of dissatisfaction. But despite that, he is committing himself to the one who can "set him free" - presumably his partner. He emphasizes that he is not a robot, but rather someone who has the will to choose who he wants to be with and how he wants to live his life. And his choice is clear - he wants to be with his partner and make every minute of his life about them.
Overall, the song is a declaration of the singer's unyielding love for his partner and his desire to make their relationship a top priority, even in a world that can feel chaotic and uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
As sure as a phoenix sunrise
I am just as certain as the sunrise of a phoenix, no matter how unlikely it may seem.
And the yanks in the playoffs every year
I am just as certain as the New York Yankees making the playoffs every year, no matter how many obstacles they face.
You're absolutely faithful
You are completely trustworthy and dependable.
I'm positively prone to disappear
I have a tendency to vanish or disappear, but that won't change my faithfulness to you.
But like I breathe
Just like breathing is a natural and automatic process for me.
And my heart beats
Similarly, my heart beats for you automatically without any effort on my part.
Chorus: I wanna love you like it's automatic, Make you into my good habit, You're the only one that really matters, Every minute everyday it's automatically OK, When I make it all about you
I want to love you effortlessly and ultimately prioritize you above any other aspect of my life. Your happiness is all that matters to me and it's something that comes naturally.
It's a mixed up messed up world with, An unsatisfaction guarantee
This world is confusing, and guarantees dissatisfaction in many aspects of life.
So I'm pledging my allegiance, To the one and only one, Who can set me free
I'm committing myself solely and completely to the one person who can give me true freedom.
But I'm not a robot, Made with no thought
Although I love you as if it is automatic, I am not a machine without any thought or feelings.
What's the point of living life, Without the will to choose
Without our power of choice, there's no meaning to our existence.
To run with the have nots, Or go with the sure shot, I'm with you
Even with the option to choose between taking risks and being safe, I will always choose you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM AGEE, IAN ESKELIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind