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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of 2005: among my all-time favorites!, November 14, 2005
I first heard Stars live as they opened for Death Cab for Cutie during their visit to Orlando, not too long ago. I was floored. As much as I enjoyed Death Cab, I was more impressed with the performance by the Canadians. I decided to pick up their latest album as the kid at the t-shirt stand told me 75% of the set list was from it. I set myself up, because now I am in an endless loop I cannot escape of. I simply CANNOT and will not take this album out of my player.
Stars is a bit of a spinoff of the Canadian experimental musical collective Broken Social Scene (BSS). They too are a bit of a collective that blends in traditional rock instruments with strings and horns in a way that is almost impossible to describe. When I first heard them, I thought (because of the female voice -one of the musicians from BSS): "This must be how 10,000 Maniacs would sound, were they still around." Enter the male singer (reminded me a bit of Trashcan Sinatras) and their harmonies. Where do you put that? Heavenly combination of voices, perfect balance that doesn't drown out any of the two.
Take the bass work (another member of BSS). If you pay close attention to it, you find out there's more to their bass than the typical sound you hear almost everywhere. The bass in Stars is almost a melodic instrument: it is every bit as much a part of the core sound of the band.
Then add to this the most grandious compositions, lyrics and arrangements, which almost seem to change gears every song and even within songs, from calm to upbeat, from upbeat to ambient, from ambient to lounge... You think it's hard to follow? You feel it's a melange? Well, that is perhaps the most brilliant thing about the band. In spite of the combinations and blends, of the experimentation and the changes in pace, in spite of the special metrics, the end result feels seamless. Not what you'd call "easy listening" but more like lovely to listen to.
Hands down, among the best of 2005 (up there alongside Sigur Ros' "Takk...") and it definitely made it to the list of my all-time favorites as well.
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Montreal must be heaven ..., April 18, 2005
There must be something in the water, or the air, in Montreal. Lately a lot of great music is coming from the great white north. This album is not as quirkily original as Arcade Fire, but is more immediately accessible, and like "Funeral" this set shares an offbeat sensibility that keeps it out of the mainstream pop radar. As I listened to "Set Yourself on Fire" it dawned on me that there are few bands that seamlessly blend male and female lead vocals effortlessly together--Fleetwood Mac immediately comes to mind--most bands are "male" vocalist or "female" vocalist predominant. Tha's one of the things that set this collection apart, that and the great lyrics. "One More Night" reminded me of a similar incident in my own past... Other highlights are "Your Ex-Love is Dead", "Ageless Beauty" and "The First Five Times" but there is hardly a throwaway track on the entire collection.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The triumph of the heart, August 29, 2006
If you've ever said "I love you" and haven't heard it back, if you've ever come across your ex and wondered what could have been, if you've ever made love one last time even though both of you knew it was over, then this CD is for you. Especially if you love beautiful voices, squiggly keyboards, driving guitars and hip-shaking bass.
Not a keyboard-band, not a guitar-band, not a boy-band, not a girl-band, Stars manages to combine all those elements into one unique whole, where the production seems to vary across each track and yet comes from those same elements each time. They do a wonderful job of harkening to the great lovesick bands of the past while still sounding fresh and original, and the best part about it lies in the wonderful voices of the two lead singers, male and female. Sometimes they sing together, sometimes they sing at each other, like parts in a high school play, and when they do you'll know exactly what they mean, because you'll feel like one of their characters if not both. Then you realize that they probably aren't singing about characters but their own personal experience, and you understand where the emotional depth and pathos are coming from.
Musically the band is both upbeat and melancholy, often at the same time, which is a true wonder, because it makes the music feel different according to your own mood. Moments that drive like My Bloody Valentine are balanced with an orchestral break worthy of Burt Bacharach, and the bouncing beats of New Order, Stereolab and Tortoise are tempered by a strong jazz, lounge, and maybe even trip-hop influence at times. There is a wealth of influence here, but it all sounds integrated into one style, their own, and above all the emotion that tugs at your heart will stake out this band's own territory in your life, so that in many ways they surpass all of the above named influences.
The lyrics are honest and filled with memories of good times and sad times, but always holding hope. Hearing the stories they tell, you can't help but think of your own, and the depth of your own history will bond with this music to increase its power in your life.
This is indie-darling-music at its best, and whether you're driving to work or curled up on a rainy Sunday morning, this makes a perfect soundtrack to your complicated life.
Remember, when it's head versus heart, go with your heart; that's why you have one.
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