Canadian waifish romantics Stars have never strayed far from the Europop courting vibrancy of 2001 debut Nightsongs and on latest release The North, it's business as usual.
Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan still sound like '80s-mourning, starstruck teenagers, yet there is something forced about the album that is evident from the very first track. The Theory Of Relativity is overtly shiny with synth, robotic claps, sun-bleached hipster twee and generic longing, yet still involuntarily gets the hips swaying. Backlines is more likable, with Millan taking control in an unashamedly heart-tugging, stadium-pop explosion. Elsewhere, the doo-wop aping duet Do You Want To Die Together? is surprisingly rousing, yet the majority of The North, whilst well constructed and efficient, sounds more like a compilation album. A Song Is A Weapon couldn't sound more Death Cab For Cutie if it tried, but most tellingly Through The Mines, whilst a decent track, sounds like a cheap reproduction of… well, Stars. They may still sing about the knife-edge agony and ecstasy that absolute love can bring, but the lyrics oft get lost in bland, dated compositions.
To be fair, there is nothing wrong with The North per se, as rousing closer Walls attests. It's just that Set Yourself On Fire was written eight years ago, and there doesn't seem to be any overt desire to change or evolve. It could be considered by some a brave move, but this seesawing between nostalgia and influence doesn't pay off. The North ends up a staid imitation of their younger selves.
