Granted, there are multiple members of 6 Speed Supernova. At least three of them, to be exact. And though there are other instruments on what likely could be the band’s magnum opus, “Starfire”, one wouldn’t be wrong for thinking of this number as a duet.

That’s because the chops, mastery, and verve of the lead singer, Marie Gutierrez, and the lead guitarist, David Ballon, are tantamount to one another in this barely five-minute outing. In fact, it’s hard to tell who comes out on top as they vie with one another for dominion and attention in a wonderful, aural race to the finish.

The early nod surely goes to the guitar work on the track, and not just because it opens up the ditty with a terrific solo. There are hues, pigmentation, and chromatic pyrotechnics in Ballon’s playing, all before the drums and the rest of the tune kick in. The notes have a discernible quality of being so distinct from each other that at times, particularly during the solo midway through, they almost sounds as ornate and intricate as a keyboard.

Nonetheless, it doesn’t take the vocalist long to surge forward as well, belting out what could easily be interpreted as iconoclastic lyrics like “take a stand and hold your ground/don’t run away.” At times, her voice is overpowering in its efficacy—which is really saying something with all the work that Ballon’s putting in on the guitars. However, what she actually succeeds in doing is elevating what could have readily been an instrumental—if not guitar-solo—affair into something that’s tangible.

With Ballon and Guttierez going at it as they do, the pace of the song—which seemingly hovers around, if not surpasses, 100 BPM—adds to the electricity. Moreover, the transitions are far from typical, both for the vocals and the instruments. The hook, for example, blends so seemingly into the verses it’s hard to tell the two apart. Moreover, the melodies the lead singer hit seem to be less important than how, if not what, she’s actually singing.

What is completely unequivocal, however, is the feeling that emanates from the surging energy of the band, which can be attributed to the pulsating heat of “Starfire”.