There are some albums you just really, really, _really_ want to like when you first listen to them. Sometimes, you’re blown away at the start. Sometimes it takes a few listens to build that acquired taste, after all. But unfortunately, sometimes, you’re just not that impressed. The latter is what happened to me after listening to Stars’ sixth album release, _The North_.
After more than 10 years of music-making and a slew of album releases, Stars have consistently made a name for themselves. Their melancholy ballads and creamy, smooth love songs have nestled in the hearts of indie pop enthusiasts, and so naturally, a new album by Stars aroused some excitement. But as I sat down and listened to the album through and through, to be honest, I was pretty bored.
I tried so hard to look for positives in _The North_, and I did find some. But if a list of pros and cons were to be made, there would be more complaints than praises. The album’s first track, “The Theory of Relativity,” is one of the weakest tracks. Overall, the song has too many elements; things sound muddled and Amy Millan’s warm voice is covered up by far too many blaring synths (how dare they).
“The North,” a slower groove, starts out beautifully. Torquil Campbell’s vocals penetrate through the soft, flowing orchestration to soon be accompanied by the lovely Millan’s harmonies. However, after about the two-minute mark, the song begins to drone on for another three minutes. Thus, “The North” became one of the songs that I could only enjoy for so long.
Similarly, “Do You Want To Die Together?” starts out nicely as well. But wait. Out of nowhere, screeching guitars hit the scene and things get, well, a little loud. The track switches back and forth between laid-back and groovy to loud and, again, loud. And I’m just not quite sure if it works.
On a more optimistic note, there are some bits and pieces of _The North_ that are enjoyable. “Lights Changing Colour” is a gorgeous ballad featuring Millan that doesn’t come across as boring or repetitive. “The Loose Ends Will Make Knots” is another standout track. It has a nice use of synth and all 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the song are unique and worth listening to.
Like past albums, _The North_ is, lyrically, fairly sentimental. However, in contrast with their previous album, _The Five Ghosts_, in particular, _The North_ is more upbeat and much less sad. Lyrics like, “I may look alive but inside I’m dead / Do you want to die together? / Yes, I do” (“Do You Want to Die Together?”) and “There’s been a lot of talk of love / But that don’t amount to nothing / You can evolve the stars above / But that doesn’t make it something” (“Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It”) drip with the same sappy, emotion-filled nostalgia like previous albums. But, amidst all of that, there are a few glimpses of hope. On “The 400,” a tense, piano-driven track, Campbell and Millan sing, “It has to go right this time / It’s got to go right.” Oddly enough, “The 400,” arguably the most optimistic track, also happens to be one of the best tracks on the album.
All in all, Stars is still a good band. They’ve consistently put out quality albums, and between the near-perfect vocals of Campbell and Millan, the band has a great sound. But after six albums, did Stars run out of ideas? _The North_ just doesn’t have enough to set it apart from the rest of their albums. There are some gems on _The North_, but after it’s all said and done, the album doesn’t seem too unique or ear-catching; I was sadly left bored and unimpressed. While it’s nice to see a bit of optimism on the album as a whole (especially after _The Five Ghosts_), _The North_, in the end, just doesn’t have the “wow” factor that was hoped for.