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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Set Yourself On Fire

EMAILPRINTby Stars

Stars reviews
81
9.4 User Score:

Album Info

Label: Arts & Crafts

Release Date: 08 March 2005

Discs: 1 disc

Genre(s): Indie, Rock

Summary

Boasting a somewhat higher profile after a tour supporting Broken Social Scene, fellow Canadians Stars return with a third LP, produced by Tony Hoffer.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

91

Spin

Delicate Casio-toned anthems. [Mar 2005, p.91]

90

Delusions of Adequacy

This is a gorgeous pop album that deals maturely with a wide range of emotions and ideas.

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90

Planet

It's hard to think of a more fully realized album out now. [#9, p.70]

90

Drowned In Sound

Set Yourself On Fire could become your favourite record, and Stars should justifiably be many people's favourite band.

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89

Austin Chronicle

The songs spring from a warm hearth, upping the ante from their well-received sophomore LP, 2003's Heart.

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86

Filter

This stunning third full-length does an incredible job of riding the highest of highs. [#14, p.101]

84

Pitchfork

Set Yourself on Fire is about breaking up and breaking down, and as such the album feels wontedly cathartic, like the moments right after you hit your emotional nadir and start getting your shit together. Stars handle the mood delicately with few slip-ups; my only complaint is that they never handle much of anything else.

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84

cokemachineglow

It takes more getting used to than their previous work, but it rewards even more for it.

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83

Entertainment Weekly

It's sort of an indie-pop Rumours, sans the wooden balls. [11 Mar 2005, p.102]

83

Stylus Magazine

It’s not that the male-female duo vocals make it or even the moments where the group channels the Delgados in their sublime use of strings and horns; it’s more that Stars has gotten tighter since their last outing.

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80

The New York Times

Like many of the best indie-pop bands, this one is musically conservative. Rather than chase new forms and sounds, the members are content to perfect the mannered pop song, nodding to forebears and fellow travelers, from Prefab Sprout to the Postal Service. [30 Dec 2004]

80

Alternative Press

Sweet without being saccharine. [Mar 2005, p.124]

80

Rolling Stone

Stars sound confident enough to set anything on fire.

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80

Splendid

Vocalists Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan connect with their audience with the breathy ease of scenester storytellers, sketching out their tales in economical but well-chosen strokes, and the tunes behind them, invariably elegant, are often deceptively cheeerful.

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80

Billboard

In the end, the group proves that its unflinching lyrics and memorable melodies are well suited for songs about warring lovers and war itself.

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80

Blender

The songs are sincere without sappiness and orchestral without bombast. [Apr 2005, p.125]

80

Junkmedia

Aside from the added guitar riffs and post-punk tones, Stars stick with a lush string section and neatly placed horns throughout, and their romantic appeal stays largely intact.

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80

Lost At Sea

Set Yourself on Fire is a release of unexpected dimensions.

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80

All Music Guide

Stars rely instead on melody, charisma, and lyrics as sharp as any modern essayist, and it's all they need to sell the quiet grandness of Set Yourself On Fire.

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80

New Musical Express

A marvellous little menagerie of smart, eccentric guitar pop full of arty tics and tricks. [13 Aug 2005, p.58]

80

Paste Magazine

Nothing short of breathtaking. [#14, p.119]

80

Urb

Sweet femme fatale vocals, oceanic synth waves and shoegazing guitar riffs abound on these sprawling sound confections. [Jun 2005, p.85]

80

The Guardian

Most of these powerful pop songs bloom to match the intensity of the feelings they lament.

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73

Almost Cool

Contains some of their best work, as well as some of their most indulgent.

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70

Uncut

While nothing here quite matches the last album's majestically weary "Elevator Love Letter", Set Yourself On Fire is still quite sublime. [Sep 2005, p.104]

70

Q Magazine

An album of some considerable beauty. [Sep 2005, p.118]

70

Under The Radar

It's a satisfying album, and its richness becomes increasingly apparent on subsequent listens. [#9]

70

PopMatters

If this record doesn't quite match Heart, it's a close-run thing.

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70

Dusted Magazine

It’s fairly impressive that Stars could make a record that comes this close to replicating its predecessor while still offering discrete pleasures of its own.

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70

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Like Ivy and other suave postmodern light-rockers, Stars sounds better in small bites than big gulps.

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70

ShakingThrough.net

Fusing elements of Human League’s sophisticated new romantic aesthetic and Belle & Sebastian’s unapologetically arty preciousness, Montreal-based Stars deliver their most consistent effort with Set Yourself on Fire.

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60

Mojo

It's a little hard to take in one sitting, though downcast fans of Saint Etienne and The Magnetic Fields will find much to adore. [Sep 2005, p.92]

60

Dot Music

It's too much risk-free computation and not enough wild emotion.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 9.4 (out of 10) based on 79 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
The highlight of 05! Terrific album, no filler whatsoever. Every song is perfectly constructed, and wonderfully sung by both Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan (who I'm in love with, BTW). This band is definitely the new Fleetwood Mac of now, cause, they make lovely, feel good pop songs that just lift you up when your feeling down. All in all, SYOF is a modern classic.

Blake gave it a10:
BEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME!!! Beautiful little gem.

tim gave it a9:
I forgot about this record. 2005 was such an aweful year it was hard to find true gems in a sea of crap. I used to get them confused with Azure Ray, Let's Go Sailing, Midnight Movies, High Violets and Frou Frou so I kind of clumped them in that whole nugazer catagory. This record proves their on a level of their own. Excellent!

Logan gave it a10:
Truly wonderful! Filled with tons and tons marvelous songs from start to finish. Great music that anyone can enjoy.

Ronnie gave it a10:
My favorite album of 05. A real gem from this talented canadian band.

Sam K gave it a10:
A Modern Mastepiece. I try to listen to it everyday.

Roco C gave it a10:
Great album about love.

Read more user comments >

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