The North is a
return to form, and that is apparent right from the start of opening track ‘The
Theory of Relativity.’ Amid all the
highly polished tales of love, there is a sense of urgency from Stars, something they've sorely lacked since their 2004 breakout Set Yourself on Fire.
They’re a few years removed from the mid-00’s heyday that
saw them sharing a good deal of accolades with their former Arts & Crafts
label mates Broken Social Scene, and they’ve certainly learned a good deal of
lessons along their way. Stars are
clearly feeling the passage of time on this album, their first release for ATO. Torquil Campbell laments on ‘The Theory of
Relativity,’ “It can’t be ’93 sadly”, just one of the many nostalgia laden
lyrics on the album. But instead of
feeling sorry for themselves, this Montreal quintet has clearly set out to prove
they still belong in the indie pop discussion.
The band’s rejuvenation
is evident in the way they effortlessly roll out track after track of lovelorn
pop music. ‘The North’ is a deeply
atmospheric song that gives way to the dance floor ready giddiness of ‘Hold On
When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It” which in turn melts into the
twinkling Amy Milan-led ‘Through the Mines’.
The seemingly easy nature of The
North doesn’t do this band justice, because certainly a lot of time went
into making this record, the tension of boy/girl duet ‘Do You Want to Die
Together’ and the assertiveness of ‘Backlines’ don’t just happen by accident.
Anyone who noticed a decline in quality over the course of
this band’s more recent releases will be pleased to rediscover them here. After drifting away from the indie spotlight
for a few years, and now older and possibly wiser, Stars too have rediscovered
themselves. Thankfully the missteps of
the past haven’t hurt their ability to write catchy songs that convey a great
deal of emotion and deliver easily accessible satisfaction.
Grade: B
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