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Set Yourself On Fire could become your favourite record, and Stars should justifiably be many people's favourite band.
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It's too much risk-free computation and not enough wild emotion.
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Set Yourself on Fire is a release of unexpected dimensions.
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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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It takes more getting used to than their previous work, but it rewards even more for it.
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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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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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Stars sound confident enough to set anything on fire.
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Most of these powerful pop songs bloom to match the intensity of the feelings they lament.
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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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The songs spring from a warm hearth, upping the ante from their well-received sophomore LP, 2003's Heart.
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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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This is a gorgeous pop album that deals maturely with a wide range of emotions and ideas.
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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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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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If this record doesn't quite match Heart, it's a close-run thing.
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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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Like Ivy and other suave postmodern light-rockers, Stars sounds better in small bites than big gulps.
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Contains some of their best work, as well as some of their most indulgent.
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New Musical Express (NME)A marvellous little menagerie of smart, eccentric guitar pop full of arty tics and tricks. [13 Aug 2005, p.58]
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Under The RadarIt's a satisfying album, and its richness becomes increasingly apparent on subsequent listens. [#9]
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BlenderThe songs are sincere without sappiness and orchestral without bombast. [Apr 2005, p.125]
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UrbSweet femme fatale vocals, oceanic synth waves and shoegazing guitar riffs abound on these sprawling sound confections. [Jun 2005, p.85]
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Alternative PressSweet without being saccharine. [Mar 2005, p.124]
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Paste MagazineNothing short of breathtaking. [#14, p.119]
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UncutWhile 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]
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Q MagazineAn album of some considerable beauty. [Sep 2005, p.118]
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MojoIt'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]
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FilterThis stunning third full-length does an incredible job of riding the highest of highs. [#14, p.101]
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SpinDelicate Casio-toned anthems. [Mar 2005, p.91]
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Entertainment WeeklyIt's sort of an indie-pop Rumours, sans the wooden balls. [11 Mar 2005, p.102]
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PlanetIt's hard to think of a more fully realized album out now. [#9, p.70]
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The New York TimesLike 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]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 85 out of 94
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Mixed: 2 out of 94
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Negative: 7 out of 94
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BlakeJul 25, 2007BEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME!!! Beautiful little gem.
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timMay 22, 2007
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LoganMay 14, 2007Truly wonderful! Filled with tons and tons marvelous songs from start to finish. Great music that anyone can enjoy.