In Our Bedroom After The War - Stars

...by so many other bands. In 2007, the band released their fourth album to date, called "In Our Bedroom After The War", and in doing so created one of the best albums of the year.

Like The Delgados or Immaculate Machine, all the focus here is on the two leading forces of the band, Millan and Campbell, who alternate on singing duty from song to song. Whilst Millan has a delicate voice that holds up every high note to a nervous ...
...songs has yet to dim. In case I haven't sold this to you yet, let me tell you about the tracks.

The album keeps away rough some of the rough synthesiser work that characterised their previous work and instead goes for quieter and subtler sounds, as heard on the intense "Personal", a story about internet dating. Strange it may be, but it works well for being entirely whispered by the two protagonists, and the flickering guitar ... more

Canadians Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan are two people who are very much of the view that Love is War. Their music, and this became especially true after the release of second album "Set Yourself on Fire", is all about the ups and downs of love, fighting to keep a relationship going, and doomed romances. And for the most part, their music works brilliantly, because their mixture of pop and rock not only blend together compellingly, but the lyrics and words offer depth and passion on a subject which has been overdone by so many other bands. In 2007, the band released their fourth album to date, called "In Our Bedroom After The War", and in doing so created one of the best albums of the year.

Like The Delgados or Immaculate Machine, all the focus here is on the two leading forces of the band, Millan and Campbell, who alternate on singing duty from song to song. Whilst Millan has a delicate voice that holds up every high note to a nervous glimmer, Campbell has a much darker and pleading singing style that borrows no small amount from Morrissey. Together, they complement each other perfectly, and this little diversity allows the album more space to breathe. The songs here aren't spiky or gritty like the work of those other two bands, instead sounding smoother and more tortured instead. This is an album I've been listening to daily since I first got it, and the charm and sparkle of the songs has yet to dim. In case I haven't sold this to you yet, let me tell you about the tracks.

The album keeps away rough some of the rough synthesiser work that characterised their previous work and instead goes for quieter and subtler sounds, as heard on the intense "Personal", a story about internet dating. Strange it may be, but it works well for being entirely whispered by the two protagonists, and the flickering guitar and occasional piano that stirs up adds drama to what is essentially a simple story, and creates poignancy. Poignant moments are quite often on the album - "Today Will Be Better, I Swear!" and "The Night Starts Here" both showcase the band's ability to build a song around simple but beautiful music. The former is especially tender, sung sweetly by Millan in a late-night setting. It's quiet and reflective, until the music swells and she chants "today/today/it's gonna be a better one!" The way the music suddenly ramps up is stunning, cutting through the reflective moments and creating a perfect note to trigger the end of the album. "The Night Starts Here", which begins the record, is even better, shimmering to begin with and then really shining as the vocals start. Millan kicks it off "the night starts here, the night starts here/ forget your name, forget your fear" before Campbell joins in, over a shiny-sounding musical backdrop which grows to accommodate some guitars, then some drums, and then an electric guitar which judders statically across the back of the music. The song doesn't go anywhere particularly, but as an introduction to the album, it's superb - and sounds amazing at night, when you walk down the street and all the lights are switched on.

Cambell gets a few ballads halfway through the album, although "Barricade" is a little out-of-place on the record. It sounds a bit forced, although Campbell's voice works well in the context of the song. Much better is "The Ghost Of Geneva Heights", possibly his best song. It's a muted rock song, with little beeps overlaid across a cool-sounding guitar track and simple repeating drums. He plays the song lightly, never letting the vocals overshadow the music, and he even throws in a little falsetto from time to time. It's an impressive song from him, and better than the closing "In Our Bedroom After The War", the title-track. Although this mini-epic has some tremendous moments that flash by it doesn't hold any sort of grip and is forgotten quickly. The trouble is that the music is not nearly as violent and loud as it should be, and the hush of the song takes away from any dramatic power it should have.

I'm more a fan of Millan, I'll be honest - And she gets a bona-fide classic pop song in the form of "My Favourite Book". It's the most uplifting song of the past few years, a happy-go-lucky track that skips along brilliantly, playing to the sweetness of Millan's voice and playfully changing the entire tone of the album as it goes. Now, if you're an idiot like me, you'll find it quite funny that in the next song that follows on immediately after she starts off by saying "sweetness doesn't suit me", but "Midnight Coward" is another song that plays off Millan's natural charm. A pounding drum rushes the song along as a hectic pace, in what is one of the most immediate songs on the record. Campbell alternates verses with her, and they genuinely sound like a (more inventive, if I dare say it) version of the Delgados. Poppier certainly, but they share a similar approach to songmaking. "Take Me To The Riot" takes the title for strongest track though, in terms of sheer willpower. Campbell is in charge, playing the role of a drug-addict stumbling around the streets at night. Fun! He throws of a rugged charisma in this track though, with Millan backing him, and the dark guitars and single piano notes ramp up the music until each chorus, a flash of energy where Campbell yells out "Saturday night in neon lights, Sunday in the sky/pills enough to make me feel ill/cash enough to make me well - take me take me to the riot!" It's great entertainment, a brash song that also throws off several layers of subtlety, as well as having a fabby bass-line.

Even towards the end the songs continue to impress, and the album really never flags, which is an amazing achievement. "Bitches In Tokyo" is a quick song that has a strumming piano noise and cymbal rush playing together as Millan essentially emulates "Take Me To The Riot". It's another thrill of a song, which holds you right until the end. Meanwhile "Life 2: Unhappy Ending" is nowhere near as soppy and emo as it sounds, Instead the lyrics are similar to those of Okkervil River (a band who made my favourite album of last year - review soon) in their brilliance. Campbell compares life to a movie, but strangely berates life for not having the dramatic and upsetting ending that you find in the movies. "Life could be nothing but a joke" he suggests unhappily, over chimes and violins that remind me of The Reindeer Section. Tis a melancholy number, yes, but one with a strength you rarely see in these sort of records. The painful lament of "Window Bird", helmed by Millan with poise and dignity, is a supber piece of work, which flicks around in style several times but is compelling throughout, and the opening instrumental of "The Beginning After The End", which finishes with a short poetry recital, sets everything up perfectly.

The thing is, this is one of the best albums I've ever heard. I never get to say that albums are flawless in execution and design, so I'm filled with childlike glee that finally I get my chance, with this record here. Stars have accomplished a minor miracle in crafting an album where every song sounds like a single, and yet everything still holds together and is stronger for being a part of a collective. In Our Bedroom After The War is quite simply, one of the best albums you'll hear in a long time, and will rarely leave your stereo once you get it. 

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