Boomkat - A Million Trillion Stars

By Kate Xian

The edgy Taryn Manning has always surprised and has pulled out the unexpected from her sleeve. So her musical inclinations should come as no surprise as she has starred in many musically inclined films such as the Oscar winning Hustle & Flow, 8 Mile and even in the bubblegummy Crossroads. Along with her equally musically inclined brother, Kellin, the two make up Boomkat - an edgy and experimental pop duo who have no qualms with mixing water and oil.

Their second full-length album A Million Trillion Stars, hitting iTunes March 10th, is through and through a pop album. Every kind of pop you can think of except the bright pink innocent kind. Drawing from Brit pop, trip hop, dirty pop and more, the brother-sister team deliver an eclectic 14 song album filled with great dance tracks such as - one of the standouts - the mid-tempo Runaway or the upbeat Wish I Could.

There's no shortage of styles to choose from, like the rock inspired Fall On Me to the melodic smooth ballad of Say Hi. We were also delighted with the tender Lonely Child and the anthem-esque Stomp. Boomkat makes no apologies for their "art of the mistake," drawing from trial and error. And clearly its proved a success having appeared on multiple soundtracks such as Taryn's own films, 8 Mile and Crossroads, as well as fellow actress/singer Lindsey Lohan's Mean Girls. But in contrast to Lohan, Manning shows much more artistry, straying away from a manufactured and over-thought sound. Her vocals too, are textured and unique while blending and complimenting beautifully with the instrumentals.

Boomkat is hitting the pavement with their first single Run Boy (Here I Come) which is by far the most experimental in sound on the album. With a bit of rap and a slight tinge of reggae, along with electro synths, Boomkat goes out on a slight limb while maintaining form - Run Boy bearing most similarity to their previous work like the Ep The Wreckoning.

Unlike most actress/musician crossovers, Boomkat stands on their own two feet, neither pulling from the celebrity factor nor jumping onto a fad or trend to take to the bank. A Million Trillion Stars is highly recommended for those with a pop/dance itch and for everyone else, there's a chance you'll find a track that you'll fall in love with. Have I mentioned how much we like Runaway?

Release Date: March 10, 2009