Jason's back with another guest post:I have been giving the new Stars album several listens trying to pick it apart. (If you are wondering why I'm even listening to it, it's been released digitally on emusic, iTunes, and the Arts&Crafts website for those digital crusaders among you)
Some things in this new album are familiar and comfortable as an old friend. Amy and Torquil provide ever beautiful vocals, and a strong interplay on tracks such as "Personal." We still have the beautiful instrumentals that seemed tinged with sadness. Of course, there are still tracks about relationships coming together and falling apart, but not as many as you would think.
However, things have changed, like life, Stars has evolved. The arrangements have become somewhat more sparse, that sadness more subtle. Stars is that old friend... You see them years later, and life and wisdom has shaped them into someone different then what they were when you remember him. You still see your old friend, but it's different.
And it still sounds perfectly beautiful.
I could work my way for pages trying to pin what exactly sets this album apart from star's other albums.
but I don't think I can. I can barely choose what track to post on the blog.
Listen for yourself.
Stars - Personal (In Our Bedroom After the War)
Stars - the Aspidistra Flies (The Comeback EP)
Stars - Your Ex-Lover is Dead (Final Fantasy Remix) (Do you trust your friends?)
Labels: jason post, review, stars
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"You still see your old friend, but it's different." -- that's an excellent way to describe it! thank you for the track from their EP; it's beautiful :)
I can take credit for the EP track, though Jason wrote the post... I can say thanks for both of us, perhaps?
It gets better the more you listen to it I think.
Thanks, I never got around to picking up "Do You Trust Your Friends?". But is it just me, or does the Aspidistra Files cut off at the end?
"It gets better the more you listen to it I think."
Too true, mmhross.
I've been trying to accumulate my thoughts on the album for the past week or so as well. It's tough to word but I threw some thoughts down if you wanna check it out.