Customer Reviews

Love Is Here

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

After a strong start in their native UK, Wigan band Starsailor release their debut in the US...and it was well worth the wait. Beginning with the captivating "Tie Up My Hands," Love Is Here is an impressive collection of emotionally-driven songs about loss and hope. Musically, it is filled with catchy folk/indie melodies that are sure to appeal to fans of Coldplay, Travis, Tom McRae, Neil Young, Turin Brakes, Doves, and the Verve.

The strength of the albums lies a great deal in singer/guitarist James Walsh distinctive voice. Very few singers have the ability to convey such depth and emotion as Walsh's, which is particularly evident on the more acoustic-based tracks, "She Just Wept" and "Coming Down." While his style is reminiscent of Tim & Jeff Buckley meets Richard Ashcroft, Walsh is a standout because of how he much he constantly sings from the heart. It's quite breathtaking. Also, an equal amount of credit for Starsailor's musical accomplishments has to go to keyboardist Barry Westhead. His contributions lend a great deal of texture to the songs, especially during "Fever" and "Talk Her Down."

If Love Is Here is any indication, Starsailor is sure to be a band that will go far and I look forward to hearing more of their music in the future.

s a fan of britpop, I have seen the rise of the epic sounding bands, Blur,
Oasis, Charlatans, Verve, Suede, etc. as well as the new rise of the
introspective, mostly acoustic bands, Travis, Coldplay, Badly Drawn Boy,
etc. Starsailor can not only top these 2nd type of bands, but can hold
their own with the Epic bands as well. When I first heard this album I
thought wow these guys are really good, then I got the chance to see them
live and I was completely blown away. Now its one of the only british cds
in heavy rotation of my cd player. Startng with Tie Up My Hands the band
immediately grabs you with the emotion in James Walsh's voice. As you go
on through their single Alcoholic, a fantastic song drenched with emotion,
through Fever and She Just Wept, you will be stunned to know just how young
Mr Walsh really is. Then as if the moody emotional music can't get any
deeper, the band turns it up an unleashes their nod to the epic styles with
Good Souls. As I have heard some friends of mine call it, the best song to
raise a beer and shout along with. Overall, while I remain a huge fan of
Travis, Oasis, Blur, etc. Starsailor has achieved a level above most of
the average Britpop albums that have come out as of late.

Some may dismiss Starsailor as overly melodramatic- even pretentious- while others may appreciate James Walsh as a tortured figure passionately baring his soul through his music. Perhaps you just have a penchant for big, sweeping music that foregrounds melody and vocals. The reality is Starsailor has all three qualities. These are soulful songs full of emotion that is always evident in Walsh's vocals, even if the lyrics sometimes fall short of expressing the feelings. Musically, the comparisons to Oasis only hold for me on "Good Souls" (which will have you expecting a Liam Gallagher vocal) but it is true that Walsh channels Jeff Buckley for most of the song styles and singing, especially on selections like Lullaby. However, this is not the plugged-in blues of Buckley; the quiet music fits the serious and somber subject matter. There is no denying that James Walsh is one sad dude who is probably happy when it rains, as the song says. It's also hard not to see this album as a star vehicle for Walsh; his voice and sentiments so dominate what the rest of the band does, the songs would not work without him. On the whole, Love is Here boasts mostly strong and memorable tracks and interesting songwriting, although it might make you want to lie down, draw the blinds, and just listen to the music. But at least it does make you want to listen.

File this cd under sensitive Brit-rock. But unlike bands like Coldplay and Embrace, Starsailor haven't tailored their sound for the masses, which could explain their lack of success. They could still strike it big, if the right single was released. I had my doubts about this album because the two songs released so far "Fever" and "Good Souls" are very lacklustre. Singer and guitarist James Walsh alternates with ease between pained resignation ("Alcoholic", "Love Is Here") and optimism ("Good Souls" and the excellent "Lullaby"). His keening falsetto on "Lullaby" is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley, and the glassy piano coupled with soaring guitars make it the obvious choice for a single, in my opinion. Starsailor are are standard rock outfit with guitar, bass (James Stelfox), drums (Ben Byrne) and keyboard (Barry Westhead). I made the mistake of expecting another Coldplay but the fact is these guys's sound is less polished and much more traditional rock. I think Coldplay's "Parachutes" is a better album but that's saying more about my taste in music than how good this cd is. A promising effort.

*** 1/2

Starsailor has been tabbed the next Radiohead and the next Coldplay, but on the other hand they've also been called the UK's answer to the Goo Goo Dolls. In reality, their talent probably lies somewhere in between. Fronted by singer James Walsh (an ironic name since perhaps the band they most resemble is the UK's own James), Starsailor is ostensibly a vehicle for Walsh to display his lyrical and vocal talent, yet the album's MVP is keyboardist Barry Westhead. Ironically, Westhead was the last member of the band to join yet he is the one who places his stamp all over Love Is Here. The album's second US single, "Poor Misguided Fool," is driven by Westhead's piano and Walsh's acoustic guitar. "Fever" includes feverish keyboards, and "Talk Her Down" employs a piano break that wouldn't be out of place in an old, western saloon. Walsh himself has been compared to Jeff Buckley with respect to his songwriting talent, yet some of his lyrics (especially in first single "Good Souls") tend to be on the sappy and cliched side. There are gems to be found, however. "Tie Up My Hands" is a moody opener to the album, with more stellar keyboard work from Westhead and acoustic guitar from Walsh. "She Just Wept" ups the mood ante with perhaps Walsh's best lyrics on the album, "Daddy I've got nothing left/ My life is good, my love's a mess." The track has a very introspective and eerie feel, and it fits well with "Fever" and the title track, "Love Is Here." Although the hype that has showered the band thus far may be a bit much, Starsailor has provided enough evidence on Love Is Here to suggest that they may someday live up to the lofty standards that have been set for them.

Think of Coldplay and Jeff Buckley and you arrive at Starsailor. The lead singers voice is great, very emotional and sometimes moving. The best songs are 'Alcoholic' and 'Poor Misguided Fool'. In fact 2 of the singles released from this album aren't very representative of this album, because they aren't very good, they are 'Fever' and 'Good Souls' , the latter was only released in the uk.

In conclusion this debut is topclass (but not as good as Coldplay's Parachutes). Buy if you like more melodic, feel good indie. PS. Many songs are just Gituar and Piano combinations (very minimalistic), but it works.

As a fan of britpop, I have seen the rise of the epic sounding bands, Blur, Oasis, Charlatans, Verve, Suede, etc. as well as the new rise of the introspective, mostly acoustic bands, Travis, Coldplay, Badly Drawn Boy, etc. Starsailor can not only top these 2nd type of bands, but can hold their own with the Epic bands as well. When I first heard this album I thought wow these guys are really good, then I got the chance to see them live and I was completely blown away. Now its one of the only british cds in heavy rotation of my cd player. Startng with Tie Up My Hands the band immediately grabs you with the emotion in James Walsh's voice. As you go on through their single Alcoholic, a fantastic song drenched with emotion, through Fever and She Just Wept, you will be stunned to know just how young Mr Walsh really is. Then as if the moody emotional music can't get any deeper, the band turns it up an unleashes their nod to the epic styles with Good Souls. As I have heard some friends of mine call it, the best song to raise a beer and shout along with. Overall, while I remain a huge fan of Travis, Oasis, Blur, etc. Starsailor has achieved a level above most of the average Britpop albums that have come out as of late.

I am a definite Starsailor fan now that I have seen them live twice and own both of their albums. They are a bit of that excellent Britrock I crave with the insanely beautiful vocals that put James Walsh in his own league (I don't buy comparisons to Robert Plant; Jeff Buckley is a little closer; and though I like Richard Ashcroft a great deal more, they do not sound similar to me).

The problem here is not the songs - it's the album. I saw them open for the Charlatans UK and I was so affected by their performance, I immediately bought tickets to see them headline, which I did not think they could possibly do at the same venue in the same season! It was one of the best shows I've ever seen. They were blowing through a single album, and one that I did not even know at the time, and somehow it felt epic. The vocals soared into that falsetto realm and the music was so vibrant and powerful that I left quite stunned. What happened between their live act and their studio act or vice versa, I cannot say for the life of me.

It took me a few listens just to recognize which songs matched with the ones I was so taken by live. On Love Is Here, it's all so soft and slow and toned down. Live, songs rushed into your head with a hungry fervor that let me know Starsailor was one to keep in consciousness for the ages. Fever was an incredible thrashing rock ballad (I swear they even called it by a different name - "The Dukes Of Hazzard Got A Fever!"), whereas on the album it is just a rock ballad. This is exactly what seems to have happened to the majority of songs, with the exception of Goodsouls which still appears to be very radio-friendly, (perhaps they did not expect to release other singles? I don't get it...). I feel that Tie Up My Hands is the most interesting song on the album, as it is slowed down and sounds different enough from what I knew to be the song in concert, and manages to be the only one that works for me in this new, pure melancholy state. It still has the aching desperation and wondrous vocals, without the infectious rhythm that first pulled me in. But something about this works quite well for this isolated track.

I was left dumbfounded at first listen, and sadly am still, after these years since its come out, quite the same. All I can do is attribute it to shoddy production that makes their sound lost in a sort of low melancholy drone with the occasional appeal of Walsh's singing or a nice riff. They have the capacity to go way beyond this. It saddens me that there is no other version of these songs out to fulfill their extreme potential. As far as the new album goes, I feel it lacks the poorly produced feeling this one has. All of the songs are tight and the music stands out for each track, however, the songs are perhaps a bit less inspired or distinguished. I'll still be waiting for that perfect live release; their fantastic live performance is already starting to feel a bit mythical...

I was always curious about Starsailor and was finally given "Love Is Here" as a gift. As a big fan of The Verve, it was pretty obvious that the singer reminded me of Richard Ashcroft. But are they worthy predecesors of The Verve? I unfortunately, don't agree. I've listened to it numerous times since then and I can't explain it any better in that it hasn't grown on me.
Don't get me wrong, there are highlights, "Alcoholic," "Good Souls," and my favorite "Love Is Here," but the album does lack in some areas. Some have complained about how depressing the lyrics are, but that doesn't bother me. I just find that some of the songs come off as carbon copies of the previous ones. I also felt that the band sounded as if they were bored to death in recording this album during some of the songs.
I'm not saying don't purchase this album, Starsailor are good, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

This year, Starsailor was expected to make a splash in the music industry. Unfortunately they were overshadowed by Coldplay's second release. However, where Coldplay follows closely in the steps of their predecessors, Starsilor are quite unique. Beautiful and quiet, powerful and pleading they go beyond were others have left off. They contain the vitality that once inhabited such bands like Blur, but don't need all the extras to make their music stand out. This is a great album and it deserves to make its way out of the London underground and into the mainstream. Go buy this one, you won't regret it!