- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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As a whole, the album feels less definite, less driven, than the 'Want…' albums, which is both a strength and a weakness.
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The real problem with Stars is that the most poignant, affecting songs sound like natural, and somewhat neutral, follow-ups to his other songs.
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Rolling StoneOnly a slight improvement [over Want Two]. [14 Jun 2007, p.102]
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While these songs are lushly produced, often with full orchestration, and while Wainwright has a knack for pretty, lilting melodies and concrete imagery there is nonetheless a distinct lack of pop hooks here.
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Someone needs to tell Wainwright there's a huge difference between 'epic' and 'over-egged'.
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Under The RadarMost of Stars ends up feeling like a sleight of hand; pay no attention to the lack of accessibility, but instead be distracted by the unecessarily grandiose 'I'm Not Ready to Love.' [Summer 2007, p.86]
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It's an ornate, dizzying affair, where all his interests and talents collide in one brazen gesture. It's impressive in scope, but where does that leave the listener? Possibly with a headache.
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Beneath the haughty schmaltz of his fifth LP—embodying Herb Albert one moment and a particularly peach-scented Little River Band the next—there are only momentary flashes of the high-quality torch songs we fell for so long ago.
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[A] black hole.
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The outlandish baroque-cubed excess here, from the warbling chorales to the bleating woodwinds, weighs down track after track after track after track.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 61 out of 76
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Mixed: 12 out of 76
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Negative: 3 out of 76
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Apr 7, 2012Altogether it's a good & enjoyable effort -- and a welcome end to the Want One's & Two's! As Rufus sings "I'm tired of writing elegies to boredom!"
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AdamWNov 17, 2007
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SYanoffOct 4, 2007