Being a part of the audience at the downstairs concert hall of the Middle East club last night, I had a tangible sense that I was witnessing something unusually progressed. The NYC art-rock scene seems to have delivered its latest flourish of genius and it goes by the name of Stellastarr*.

Probably the most distinguishing characteristic of the show was the utterly cathartic audience response. A crowd of about 500 was able to generate arena-sized energy and the band rose to the occasion. While this can partially be credited to the city of Cambridge and its demographic cross-section, it's the members of Stellastarr* and their prodigious talent that made it happen.

The vocal styles ranged from anthemic to bubbly to shrieky and the contrast between the male lead vocalist's chaotic delivery was complemented well by the female bassist's smoother backups. The interplay of the two guitars was also worthy of mention. The mostly uptempo overdriven rhythm sounds were exquisitely tempered by ambient delay-infused melodies. Manic drumming gave way to subtle percussive fills. Few bands are able to accomplish this kind of balance.

Lyrically, they're art school kids and it shows: cryptic but fun. In 'In the Walls', the opening tune of the night, Christensen crooned "The falling chains and falling lies make pretend you're mine." Could someone please explain? In the chorus of 'Pulp Song' on the other hand, he poignantly asserts, "We're lying, we've lied to you, we've lied to make our point of view."

The greatest strength of these musicians, however, is their ability to effectively modulate the level of energy within their songs. The transition from quiet introspection to a disco-era frenzied climax in 'My Coco' had the crowd bouncing, literally.

By combining their individual talents, Stellastarr* create a picturesque soundscape that is uniquely their own.