SOUNDTRACK: STARS-In Our Bedroom, After the War (2007).
I listened to the latest Stars release on cbcradio3 (they had been streaming it there). I liked it but I didn’t love it. So I went back to the predecessor to see if I still liked Stars as much as I recalled liking them.
And I do, indeed. The vocals are split between the gorgeous, delicate Amy Millan and the earnest Torquil Campbell.
“The Night Starts Here” is a beautiful track and “Take Me to the Riot” is a stellar, catchy song with a rousing chorus.
In fact, the disc plays nicely back and forth with dancey tracks (like the discoey “My Favourite Book”) and more delicate tracks (like the delightful “Midnight Coward”.)
“The Ghost of Genova Heights” sounds not unlike Prefab Sprout (with another dioscoey sound). While “Personal” is sad song about Personal ads (or the people in them, anyhow). It’s the most downbeat song on the disc, and it acts as a nice breather for what’s to come.
There are a couple of simple piano songs, like “Barricade” which veers towards over the topness, but stays on the good side of it.
“Window Bird” has a great surprise twist in: after some delicate “forget, forget” whispers, a rocking bridge pushes its way in. The disc ends with the almost closer: “Today Will Be Better I Swear,” which, with its musical diminutions would make an excellent end to the disc. Although the closing song (the title track), makes for an excellent coda.
The Stars folk know their way around a delicate and catchy melody. And their lyrics are strong too. This is definitely a favorite disc of the last few years, even if, as Sarah points out, it’s not as rocking as I normally like.
I’ll probably check out The Five Ghosts, but I fear it will be hard to live up to this disc.
[READ: July 31, 2010] “The Dredgman’s Revelation”
Karen Russel is another of The New Yorker’s 20 Under 40. And this is a story that I wouldn’t normally read. (I don’t have much of an affinity for depression-era fiction). So I’m glad I said I would read all of these authors, as it exposed me to something new.
This story is about Louis Thanksgiving Auschenbliss. Louis was born in a foundling’s hospital. The story of his birth and the origin of his name are very enjoyable. In fact, I would have wanted to read the story more if it started with this segment, rather than the stuff about the dredgeman (although I admit that the placement works much better dramatically).
Louis was eventually adopted by the Auschenbliss family, who treated him as if he was worse than an animal. He was forced to do chores with virtually no rest for most of his young life. But Louis never complained, he did what he was made to do, despite the abuses. Until he’d had enough. And then he left.
He found work as a Dredgeman in a Florida swamp. The Model Land Company was digging a canal, and Louis was delighted to find work, even if it was work that every other man hated. Because of Louis’ terrible family, he felt that anything, even dredging, was better than what he had been through. And even though the crew thought he was weird for being so happy, he felt a kind of bond with them.
And so Louis is sad when the job ends. But he quickly finds work with another company in an even more depressing, bug infested swamp. The people aren’t as nice, but he’s still happy.
(more…)
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I have been a fan of Stars since about 2004. I have wanted to see them for a really long time. I thought I’d be able to see them last year on their Christmas Together Tour. It was at LPR in New York (which is just too much of a pain to get to) and at World Cafe Live. But it happened to be on the same night as our holiday party, so I couldn’t swing it. I never guessed they’d do another one. So this year I made sure to get tickets and schedule our party around this show.
SOUNDTRACK: STARS-Tiny Desk Concert #108 (February 3, 2011).
