Customer Reviews

Set Yourself On Fire

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

catchy, introspective, expansive, beautiful.
if you get a chance to see them in concert, do. they are pitch-perfect, dreamy, and put on the greatest live show.
this album is terrific. check out the write up on it on
arts-crafts.ca it will help you appreciate the depth and beauty of this work

I had never heard of Stars until this year, and I'm sure glad I did. This album will go down as "the one that saved music for me" in 2004. Although Set Yourself on Fire is reminiscent of Jesus and Mary Chain, Rilo Kiley, the Cure, Hope Sandoval, New Order, Postal Service and Grandaddy - it maintains its own completely original, gorgeous sound. Conversational lyrics between the male and female lead singers, glittery guitars and electronic pulses make this entire album one of the most interesting and exciting listens in a long time. But words can't do it justice. Go out and buy this one - or at least download a few of the standout tracks and see for yourself. This one is worth the trip to the record store.
Standout tracks include the beautifully sad-but-happy opener "Your Ex-Lover is Dead", the hyper title track "Set Yourself on Fire", the Beth Orton-esque "One More Night" and the final track "Calendar Girl", which contains lyrics so ridiculously exquisite, it's almost hard to wrap your head around the idea that a mere mortal wrote them.
The whole thing is REALLY that good.

I just picked this CD up, without knowing who Stars were or what kind of music they played. I was completely blown away. This CD is one of the best CD's in my collection. Their lyrics are beautiful and the songs are so powerful. If the lyrics don't get you the music will. Each song is completely different from the last and the vocals are incredible! I was lucky enough to catch Stars in concert and they play even better live. If you have the chance, check them out. Best tracks are Ageless Beauty, One More Night, and Your Ex-lover Is Dead. Go out and get this CD!!! A must have!!!

This Stars album just captivated me from the very first time the melodies started emanating from my speakers. It just sucked me in and wrapped around me like a warm fuzzy blanket. And I'm not joking, it was almost magical. I could feel the rhythms take hold right away and send me on an awe-inspiring journey. It's all pop perfection, but unique and challenging enough to separate itself from the rest of the mainstream drivel and mediocrity out there today. The opening track sets the mood, and it definitely doesn't stop there. Almost every song is upbeat and dreamy, ringing out youthful wonder and optimism. Especially with songs like Ageless Beauty, Amy's vocals and the instrumentation hearken back the era of Lush, a band that sadly ended way before its time. But then later she provides a delicate performance in songs like The Big Fight and One More Night. She sometimes sounds like a 'quiet' sister of Emily from Metric! Then of course, Torquil adds a very resonating DCFC feel to the entourage. A total package that is just enthralling...

Kudos to a great effort!!!

I am always very skeptical of new music. This whole album blew me away. It was quite refreshing to have so many subjects and styles in one album. The Stars cover so much ground, I don't see how they haven't broken into the mainstream (somewhere) yet. But this only adds to the ease of feeling a personal connection with their music, I think. Very pleased.

STARS were introduced to me by Much More Music with the song; Reunion, i thought it was catchy. so i downloaded some of the songs and started to listen. AMAZING! i recomend it to everyone...very easy to listen to!
1- Your Ex-lover is dead- great duet between torquil and amy 5/5
2- Set yourself on fire- amazing techno. easy listening 5/5
3- Agless beauty- catchy riff 4.5/5
4- Reunion- great song...no words 5/5
5- the big fight- great song with amazing duet. soft song 4/5
6- What im trying to say- good song with a great beat 5/5
7- One more night- a great song with meaningful lyrics 5/5
8- Sleep Tonight- great vocals by amy...too short 4/5
9- The First 5 times- no real chorus...okay 3.5/5
10- He lied about death- AMAZING SONG.. really mean lyrics by torquil. 5/5
11- Celebration Guns- My least favorite 3/5
12- Soft revolution- Great Music that shouldn't stop. 4/5
13- Callendar Girl- a great goodbye by STARS with a great beat 5/5.

In closing "Set yourslef On Fire" is probibally the best by STars with great beats and duets with amzing keyboards! I recomend you add this Cd to your collection.

Let me add my voice to the chorus of praise for "set yourself on fire". After one hearing of "your ex-lover is dead" on CBC radio, I tracked down this CD and haven't been happier. From start to finish, this third offering by the Stars is nothing short of masterful. I hadn't bought a CD in years before this one, and it is money well spent. It's important to support rising Canadian talent, so buy this album for yourself, then for your friends and loved ones. Support the Stars! We need more of their high quality music!

I am a huge music fan. I keep my genres opened and always love looking for new things to listen to. My best friend discovered "Stars" and introduced me right away. I was stunned when I first listened to their music. It's quite brilliant and unlike anything I have heard before. Not only that but their lyrics are so relatable to any real life situation. I also love the blend of strings in the majority of the songs. If you are a fan of strings such as myself, you will no doubt enjoy this band. My favourite song off the album would have to be One More Night. Also, their latest single out, Ageless Beauty, is stunning as well. Check them out! I highly recommend.

'Set Yourself on Fire' is a great new release from Stars. With poignant lyrics, and a myriad of melodies interlacing on each track, this album is a delight for the ears. Some of the most heart-felt songwriting I've heard in a long time dominates each song; an important feature in great music that has gone so far overlooked in recent years. Of note, the opener, 'Your Ex-Lover is Dead' begins this album on such a breathtaking note, that it is hard not to keep listening. Stars bring to 'Set Yourself on Fire' a unique sound that showcases the talent of this group, while paying homage to the je ne sais quoi that is Montreal. Together with the Arcade Fire, Stars are producing some of the best Canadian music at the moment. This is a great album, and should not be missed. A best pick for this year, for sure. But this album!

This is one of the best albums I own. Currently, everyone is into the whole neo new wave thing but there is very little of it that is credible. Not so with Stars. Superficially, they seem to borrow heavily from bands like the Killers, pre-Gran Turismo Cardigans, PJ Harvey and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. But they are so much better. The tracks' layers of drums, guitars, strings, piano and feather-light vocals will not leave you indifferent. And let me say something about the lyrics. I think that not enough emphasis is placed on the importance of lyrics today. Where are the Leonard Cohens, the Neil Youngs, the Joni Mitchells of today? 'Calendar Girl' and 'One More Night' are very very clever. You can't help but fall in love with this album. An instant classic of Canadian music. Buy immediately and share! Stars deserve to be music royalty in Canada if not the world.