Now u-rate-it is officially dead and buried, I'm thinking of posting my reviews from there over here...
Now u-rate-it is officially dead and buried, I'm thinking of posting my reviews from there over here. Anyone interested?
Member since:16.06.2001
Reviews:71
Members who trust:166
What does the name “Starsailor” say to you? To me, it says, “Manufactured boy band, shelf life of approx. one hit”. Therefore you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that Starsailor are actually a band of talented musicians who have recorded a very good debut album indeed. Their name in fact comes from the title of a 1970 LP by Tim Buckley; one of a number of singer-songwriters admired by the band’s own singer-songwriter, James Walsh.
“Love Is Here” is a collection, not of love songs exactly, but of songs about love in all its forms. Starsailor are the musical equivalent of being softly spoken; all gentle melodies and soft bass, although the band does occasionally raise its voice to make a point as instruments burst from mere backing to take the fore. But make no mistake; the centrepiece of the music is very definitely Walsh’s vocal talent. What is less definite, is how to best describe that talent. For me, it is at times reminiscent of Robert Plant, at times Richard Ashcroft; the young Lancastrian sounds permanently on edge, his voice charged with emotion. He certainly delivers some well-crafted lyrics; take this from one of the album’s best tracks, “Fever”; “I must have been blind/ To carry a torch for most of my life”, or this clever use of metaphor from the moody opener, “Tie Up My Hands”; “I wanna hold you but my hands are tied”.
However, it’s no good singing fine songs if you don’t have the right backing to your guitar strumming – and here I should mention that Walsh certainly knows his way around the fret board. To be brutally honest, I think that Walsh’s quality would shine through with any session musicians worth their salt, and he can be confident of solo success should “artistic differences” come up somewhere down the line. For now though, the rest of the band are more than capable; James Stelfox plays a subtle bass throughout which is at its best on “Way to Fall” and “Talk Her Down”; Ben Byrne’s drumming is solid if uninspiring; and Barry Westhead turns in a good performance on the keyboards.
If you’ve been wondering whether to buy the album having enjoyed one or two of the singles (“Good Souls”, “Alcoholic” and now “Lullaby”) then wonder no more – “Love Is Here” is a fine example of the singer-songwriters’ art, up there with Black’s “Wonderful Life” and David Gray’s “White Ladder”. If you haven’t heard this band yet, take a look at the video clips on their official site (http://www.starsailor.net) and see what you’ve been missing.
A closing thought for you; Walsh once said of his craft: “Some people go down the pub and get drunk, some people write books, this is just the best way I have of expressing myself”. Personally, I prefer to write for Ciao, but each to their own...
Track listing: Tie Up My Hands, Poor Misguided Fool, Alcoholic, Lullaby, Way to Fall, Fever, She Just Wept, Talk Her Down, Love Is Here, Good Souls, Coming Down
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Nice review i have this album and love starsailor.
TrueSatan 25.07.2002 03:36
A beautifully well written opinion, however not a band I enjoy at all. I was persuaded to acquire this disc by a friend some time back and have striven ever after to find why on earth she and you like it so much, unfortunately the reasons elude me even now. I don't dispute that when taken in its separate parts the musicianship is good enough but the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, at least to my ears.
assistant_14 28.01.2002 20:36
A typically well written opinion Tone, an excellent tribute to a fantastically well rounded album from a band who do things the old fashioned way. Jon
AlthoughLove Is Here, Starsailor's anxious, soulful folk and urban blues nuanced inaugural ... more
album will be less of a culture shock to any scene-follower who experienced, say, Tom McRae's debut from 2000, it will certainly jolt the core beliefs and common...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Although Love Is Here, Starsailor's anxious, soulful folk and urban blues nuanced ... more
inaugural album will be less of a culture shock to any scene-follower who experienced, say, Tom McRae's debut from 2000, it will certainly jolt the core beliefs and commo...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 1 to 3 weeks...
Advantages: Sublime lyrics and great musical performance all round Disadvantages: Why the silence and a pointless bit at the end, inlay could be better
Advantages: Great music, they can actually play, superb vocals and lyrics, topped off with nice pianos and guitars Disadvantages: Hidden track (what is the point of them?)
Advantages: Ideal for lying in the sun with a loved one- or in a darkened room on your own.. Disadvantages: 5 songs previously released in one form or another so possibly not the best value for existing fans.
KingMonkey 17.10.2001 (17.10.2001)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Love Is Here - Starsailor
Nov 21st, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
![River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/251/prod_small-6006251.jpg)
