WDOM BLOG

So finally here is my delayed post on a fantastic album. Stars have become quite famous in the music world for their beautifully crafted LP Set Yourself Of Fire. That CD, defined for me a great year. It was beautiful from beginning to end. What topped it off, was that I saw them with Death Cab For Cutie at Lupo's, front row about 3 years ago (lucky right?) and now they headline their own shows. Glad they've made it (almost) as they are widely apart of Broken Social Scene and Canada's indie movement. Not to mention Torquil's side project Memphis or Amy Milan's solo career are also blooming as well. Enough about that, Stars album actually leaked back in June (around the 30th) and Arts & Craft , as well as the band, decided to let it be bought digitally immediately after the leak. Boy did it work. Finally someone got it right. Good thing to, because this album is another great chapter in Stars discography...

... we open up with an M83 style opening, that leads us right into the first single "The Night Starts Here". One of my favorite tracks, it starts as if a b-side of their Heart LP but about a little over a minute it kicks into an amazing bass beat tracked under excellent, well crafted drums. Amy's voice sounds just as sweet over it all and then the guitar and orchestra swell under Torque's verse. About 2 and a half minutes comes this great guitar riff. It's so driven along with everything else. It's absolutely a great track and a standard in describing Stars sound. 

Next comes "Take Me To The Riot" that opens as if it was a U2's Bloody Sunday, but then we are brought back to the sweet vocals of Amy and Torquil (those blips in the beginning yeah?). The pre chorus also has a great hook that leads us into a great chorus. At the end it just gets more epic, truly another standout track. 

One of the few tracks that really give Amy Milan's voice a chance to shine is "My Favourite Book". It is perfectly suited for her. It kinda has a Fleetwood Mac chorus to it, and kinda a Natalie Imbrulia (Torn? remember that tune?) emotional sound to it (All the ways you moveeee). Could just be the harmonizing on that section though... Regardless it has a great bridge and a sweet orchestral moment with snarling violins with steady vibrato. 

"Midnight Coward" pulses like a march with its driven drums and bass line. The keys in this are outstanding (and mandolin!). They fit into this one perfectly. That's one thing I love about Stars, they can be very expansive in their instrumentation but it works so well. You can hear the upright piano, grand piano and electronica keys but it sounds great. Torquil also showcases his best vocal performance yet. 

So the next track "The Ghost of Genova Heights" I thought was the intro to Michael Jackson's "I Wanna Rock with you". That snare just sounds so damn familiar. Anywho, this track is mostly Torquil and is a gentle sweet tune. Kinda disco-y after the chorus! and i love it! While not the best, it doesn't fill like a filler track at all. It ends beautifully like a Stars track should. 

One of the most interesting tracks is "Personal". It has a sick guitar riff in the distant on delay/reverb bouncing around in background. A gentle piano, and gentle limited guitar notes provides a very touching track, which is indeed why its called "Personal". An interesting track about two strangers meeting and it keeps this tone throughout. Interesting, but a favorite for its artsy appeal connecting title with its feel. 

"Barricade" is a good track for Torquil but feels to 80's for me because the chorus. It doesn't match the feel that the Stars generally have. It contains a riot chant in the middle and end which is interesting, but this is not a standout track in my opinion...

"Window Bird" starts with Amy Milan possibly singing the highest I've ever heard her. Sounds sweet, a bit straining but emotionally driven. The end is what really sells the song for me as it reminds me of "He Lied about Death" from their last cd. While slower that "He Lied About Death" it gets disjunct, dissonant but appropriately done. 

"Bitches In Tokyo" grabs your intention with loud tom drumming but settles into a cymbal and snare hit. Then the chorus pulls you in with the shortest "song" on the album. A great track nonetheless and it carries itself well with the drumming and piano. The bridge rocks everything up with explosive drumming and some great keyboard work.

"Life 2: The Unhappy Ending" is a great track. One of Torquil's best yet. I just love the drumming and instrumentation for this track. From the xylophone's, orchestration, guitar, keyboards, and singing its all around one of the more impressive instrumentally done tracks. The drums in this are perfect for the song and is understandably one of the best tracks on the cd. Very well done lyrically and done perfectly as I would expect them to do with their lyrics. 

"In Our Bedroom After The War" is the title track, and last song. So epic, its unbelievable. It's as if they took the whole storytelling thing to heart and in the end wrote a movie. It builds gently but strongly when it hits its climax. It feels like a big hoorah, and that the war is finally over and now rest and peace can be achieved. And at the end, the camera pans out to the ending, leaving us and satisfying us with a great record...

...A lot of people compare this cd with Set Yourself On Fire which isn't fair. Stars have grown a lot since then experiencing new things, solo and side band, and learning to grow. Lyrically, its as good as Set Yourself On Fire and instrumentally done just as well. I think people were expecting a charged cd like "What I'm Trying To Say" but i feel as though they've been juggling with writing well crafted songs in their "elegant pop" style. They have done this perfectly well as it almost feels as if its painted, just like the cd cover. A well done cd, and a cd they should be proud of because it showcases great growth and sign of a good direction. The next cd will no doubt be their best yet, as they have found their balance of their dance rock and elegant pop finally. 

tracks:

2: The Night Stars Here

3: Take Me To The Riot

4: My Favourite Book

5: Midnight Coward

7: Personal

11: Life 2: The Unhappy Ending

13: In Our Bedroom After The War (6:47)