Nightsongs

Stars | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 24, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Le Grand Magistery
• ASIN: B000056WNL
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,107 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #36 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Chamber Pop
  • #46 in Music > Indie Music > Pop > Pop Rock
  • #82 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Electronic Pop

Editorial Reviews

14 tracks of pure heaven. Celestial slices and sidereal sounds. 'Nightsongs,' the long-awaited debut album from Stars contains beautiful beats, heartfelt lyrics, and enough injections of Morrissey, Marr, Derrick May, Bjork, The Blue Nile, New Order, Frazier Chorus, Style Council, Electronic, Marvin Gaye, The Chimes, and De La Soul to move St. Etienne and all the angels up in heaven to tears. Tears of joy. Salty tears the likes of which they've never wept before. But it's not too late. It's never too late for 'Nightsongs.' A million dancehall dreams will be built around these words and rhythms. Most of those dreams will be shattered: She'll break your heart. He'll never call. You'll never even say a word. All else might vanish, but these songs will last. Painful and perfect reminders of the hope. Reminders of that salvation in desperation, the living and the moving, the dancing and the grooving. Those moments of madness and sadness, of elation and vibration! These songs are already playing in your head. You can almost hear them. Put this disc in your system, turn it up and just let the music flow. A dizzying array of words will fall from the mouths of Stars, while bandmates Torquil Campbell, Chris Seligman and their gaggle of electronics and associates play poet to your past and pervert to your present. They even put "motherfucking" to use in a way that is both tactful and sublime. Their clubby cover of the Smiths' "This Charming Man" is sure to win them some instant fans, but their original compositions will have this band living up to their moniker in no time. The soft revolution starts here!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just stunning, January 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Nightsongs (Audio CD)

I've owned this disc for about a year now & it is still one of my very favorites, and I listen to a LOT of music. The songs are beautiful and hooky and spare and catchy and lyrical and gorgeous all at once. Best comparison would be the Smiths, but without the heavy instrumentation in many Smiths songs, and more universally contemplative than Morrisey's navel-gazing. Really Stars sounds nothing like the Smiths but you can hear the influence. Bought it after hearing "This Charming Man" on my local indie radio station & while that's an excellent song, the rest of the album is better. Do yourself a favor and try this on for size.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The stars come out on modern music, February 4, 2002

By 

Chad A. Lauterbach "chadl2" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nightsongs (Audio CD)

Although the genre this piece falls into might be somewhat vague, the quality of this recording is not. The album is an excellent work all the way through, with highlights being "My Radio", "This Charming Man", and "The Very Thing." This groups sound is new and refreshing. A mixture of the electronic and conventional brings us a unique perspective on modern rock. Their music's full of hooks and catchy changes that draw you right in and won't let go. There aren't very many albums I would consider artistically valid, interesting or innovative that end up being this catchy and attention grabbing. Lyrically the album is downcast; however, you the lyrics lose their depressing flavor in the midst of the Stars pop tone. The only disappointing track on this album is probably "Write What You Know." This is overall an extremely strong debut album, and a band to look out for in the future. You should seriously consider checking this band out. (and I should also mention they are great in concert.)

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to the Soft Revolution, February 29, 2004

By 

Cris "protovirus" (jacksonville, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nightsongs (Audio CD)

Stars' Nightsongs is a healthy taste of sonic goodness. The instrumentation is fitting and the some of the grooves are truly infectious. If I had to sum up the lyrical content of this disc in one word I would use honest. They do make the attempt to softly push the pop format beyond it's radio restricted boundaries and sometimes even succeed.

The female lead and backing vocals are delicious (ba bop bop baaa) and the male leads voice fits the tracks very well. If you enjoy reflecting on life while listening to music alone this disc will assist. It has a very secure spot in my listening rotation.

Highly recommended for discriminating listeners that enjoy emotion generating electronica.