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Without Feathers - The Stills
Without Feathers Image
  • Summary: This long-overdue second album finds the Montreal band shedding its dark, Joy Division-influenced sound for one that more closely resembles classic rock.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 20
  2. Negative: 1 out of 20
  1. The result is the work of an effectively new band--and a much better one. [12 May 2006, p.83]
  2. While stocked with skillful guitars, tuneful vocals and the occasional hook, Without Feathers feels oddly unassuming, a plain-vanilla modern-rock record. [Jun/Jul 2006, p.122]
  3. Where melody, mood, and technique dominated Logic, Without Feathers sinks into a tuneless no man's land.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 16
  2. Negative: 4 out of 16
  1. BillB
    10
    This is my favorite album of the stills so far! Its better than Logic and destroys Oceans will Rise. Every song is catchy and there isn't one song I dislike. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. JeremyW
    5
    I loved Logic. I simply do not hear the same band on their second full length release. We all know why. But why?I just saw them live here in Calgary and besides a couple songs from the new album everyone ROCKED out to the old stuff way more. It's better. Rich. Passionate. The new stuff seems to be Dave Hamelins vision and it is dry. Tim Fletcher's voice is way sexier and his presence is far more engaging. Where are the guitars? Oh they left the band over musical differences. Pity. Bring him back. Do you hear me STILLS. You should be Canada's favorite Band but instead you are a major dissappointment. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. BrendanD
    3
    I'm still trying to figure out what people see in the Stills. I wasn't unimpressed by their debut, but I haven't heard anything by this band so far that makes them worthy of indie worship (part of which, I have to think, is due to the accolades given by Zach Braff, who included a lot of their stuff in teen-indie darling "Garden State"). I decided to give them another chance when I finally sat down and listened to the soundtrack from "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie," but I found their track to be one of only two songs I DIDN'T like, the other being Avril Lavigne's horrendous cover of the show's theme song. So I wasn't expecting much of their latest release, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The feel of "Without Feathers" is very mundane and samey-sounding (I'd almost liken them to an indie version of Matchbox 20, but that would be a little TOO harsh of a criticism), and perhaps most importantly, there don't seem to be a lot of hooks. I've been hearing that people find resemblances to the Kinks or Elton John, but I'm hearing the more angsty side of Ryan Adams or that awful "Bad Day" song. This is mostly fizzle and hype with no real "pop." Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 16 User Reviews

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