Fans of the depressingly bleak emo genre should take note of a band like Benton Falls, because they carry that introspective and heartfelt banner with no shame whatsoever. With songs about heroes on heroin and the facade of pleasantries at high school reunions as well as the usual, yet tender romantic songs, Fighting Starlight hits upon those poignant, definitive moments in life. With Benton Falls the music is lazy and dark, so one might be able to slip past the edgy lyrics if they so dared, but they’d be making a big mistake in doing so. Feel free to lock the door to the room and turn off all the lights and soak in the depression and sorrow: this album was made for those introspective moments humanity feels when life hits hard. With many of the songs on here being over five minutes (yet without getting redundant in their setup), Fighting Starlight gives fans their money’s worth of music, not to mention a rollercoaster ride of the darker side of emotional complexity. – Kurt Morris