Customer Reviews

Five Ghosts

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When it comes to crafting melodramatic, cinematic pop music, Stars are in a league of their own. Though they may not have recaptured the jubilation of their career high point, Set Yourself On Fire, Stars have put together another very nice album that fits snuggly into the overarching theme of Stars music. If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that Stars started as a synth-heavy pop band and slowly transformed into a symphonic pop rock band, but recently they've been returning back to that first sound, as heard on their excellent Sad Robots EP, which was awash with synthesizer and distorted-beyond-recognition guitars. The Five Ghosts has continued the trend, leaving behind some of Stars signature orchestration in favor of the sound of their early-career works. However, unlike the early career in which Torquil was the primary singer, this album stands as a showcase for the incredible vocal talents of Amy Millan, who I personally think is the best female vocalist in popular music. She lives and breathes the heartbroken vocal melodies heard throughout the record, and Torq takes a backseat, providing ample vocal support but leading only a few of the eleven tracks. This is an album for Stars fans, not one designed to bring as many new ones into the fold. Not their strongest effort and sadly likely to be ignored in a year full of stellar releases, the Five Ghosts is nonetheless a record worth listening to, owning, and cherishing as part of the excellent Stars canon.

Stars is probably one of the most underappreciated bands of the decade. They have produced such great albums as 'Set Yourself On Fire' or 'Heart' which have been aclaimmed by the critics, however, the audience is relatively very small these days. And I feel sorry for that because this album also proves that Stars need more fame and applause then they get.

I would begin with that this album mostly reminds me of the album 'Heart'. Which is great, in my opinion. The band stays on track and keep themselves what they really are. I would say that any of the Stars fan should not be disappointed by buying this.

However, at the first few listens the record seemed to be a little bit boring and songs alike each other. Yet I did not give up and now after listening to 'Five Ghosts' like ten times I enjoy it a lot and this album would go into my TOP album list of the year.

Anyone who is new to Stars could start with this album, because it is a little bit more pop than others and quite easily approached compared to other albums.

I might agree that this album ain't perfect, however, yet it is my soundtrack of the summer days. I believe it could be yours too. Buy it!

Key tracks:

- Dead Hearts

- Wasted Daylight

- Changes

- The Passenger

- Winter Bones

While not an evolutionary jump from their previous work, Five Ghosts does a nice job of combining simple melodies and arrangements with direct lyrical composition to create another solid album. And, as solid for Stars means "Gold", this album does not disappoint.

I confess that I am not a die hard Stars fan as some other reviewers. I got drawn to the band after listening to "Going going gone" (what a chilling song!) and "This charming man" of Nightsongs on the radio, then recently picked up this album after listening to "The passenger" , again on the radio (Thank you KCRW!).

I just picked up "Set yourself on fire" after listening to "The five ghosts". I know I may receive death threats, but I have to say I enjoy this album more than the highly acclaimed "Set yourself on fire". Yes it's more mainstream, yes it's more "pop", but yes I found myself listening to the first 8 songs all in one sitting (and the last 3 songs are not bad... just not as catchy as the first 8).

Who cares if they switched label? Who cares if the album sounds "pop"? I'm happy as long as they are not Queen, post-Freddie Mercury era.

Oh, and I absolutely adore the electric solo bit in the middle of the both verses on "We don't want your body".

I have to admit I picked this one up on a whim after an Amazon recommendation, and I'm so glad I did! I'd never listened to them before, but I am always anxious for new music that isn't Top 40. This album definitely delivered and I'm in love with them now.

This is a bizarre, morbid little album with haunting lyrics in songs like Dead Hearts and I Died So I Could Haunt You. And sometimes the music is equally eerie. I love the charm of the lead male and female vocalists - but sometimes the music sounded a bit loud and over powering.

My favorite tune has to be #7 - Changes. I can listen to it over and over again and I never get tired of it. The lyric and vocal really shine through here.

Since I'm not familiar with the group before this album, I can only suggest this to newcomers looking for something different, but I definitely plan to search out some of the group's older stuff now.

This is certainly a more crafted and produced album from Stars. Not as 'pop' as previous albums and as the title reflects slightly darker of tone. A very enjoyable listen from it's first play.

I originally downloaded this album after hearing "We Don't Want Your Body", expecting more of the same. That was most likely a mistake and led to me originally disliking this album greatly.

But after some excellent experiences with "Set Yourself On Fire", I decided to give "Five Ghosts" another go, setting it on repeat for an hour or two. The first listen was rocky but after that I started to hear the beauty of the lyrics, the melodies and instrumentation. I began to wonder who the "Five Ghosts" were and listened a few more times, trying not to directly dissect or analyze the lyrics. The more I listened, the more I enjoyed it. Every time the album is wrapping up, I'm ready to move onto something else until Dead Hearts kicks in and then I find myself itching for another ride.

There's a story going on here and I still don't quite know what it is. I'm hesitant to dredge up the lyrics online for analysis, preferring to listen through in search of the connections between the songs. But either way, this album has catapulted to the top of my lists, vaulting right over the very excellent "Set Yourself On Fire".

It's a bit ironic that like other Stars CDs, this one didn't give up its secrets on first listen. But now I'm so addicted to the thing I love it every time I hear it. Fine offering from a fine band. I'm just wondering why I can't turn more people onto them!

Stars fifth album, "The Five Ghosts" is a sweet, haunting dish. Much like Sad Robots EP, it's dark and melodramatic. "Dead Hearts" is my favourite track off the album, pure poetry. This album is quite a bit different from "Set Yourself On Fire" and "In Our Bedroom After the War" which are my favourite albums by Stars. This band hailing from Montreal do not disappoint in this follow up. If you love Stars, check it out and enjoy.

A good album stays with you long after you stop listening and such is the case for me, at least, with Five Ghosts. I've been a fan of Stars and the various artists from the Canadian Arts and Crafts group for a few years and love the artists in their various forms and incarnations.

Stars albums always have a operatic/cinematic quality that tells a story with mysterious emotional undertones.

I've listened to this album seven or eight times and am still looking for the deeper story that I haven't caught onto yet. The time is the present, but the ghosts call back to old memories and regrts. Amy Milan could sing the telephone directory and make it sound amazing.