On The Outside - Starsailor

...crossfire is the first song on the album so it starts really very strongly. By the time i reached the end of the album I had the disturbing sense that i hadn't heard anything but the first song. This was actually a mistake, on the first listen the songs do sound very similar, but its a trick... listen again and again if need be. i forgot that i really like the first song, and what i was hearing were good songs that just needed time to become great. ...
...real contender for best song on the whole album; there's a nice base line constantly running through Way Back Home that offsets some dark lyrics perfectly (though again there is considerable strength and hope in the lines as well- a good combination with some great music); Keep Us Together is catchy and interesting; another contender for best song- Get Out While You Can has the best chorus of them all, beautifully sung but still really strong; White ... more

The lead singer of starsailor has a quite distinctive voice- it's strong, quite high but still very melodic. I like it. It really really suits the startling quality of the first release off the album -In the Crossfire. That was such a strong song that i immediately wanted to own the album.

Having bought it I listened with anticipation. In the crossfire is the first song on the album so it starts really very strongly. By the time i reached the end of the album I had the disturbing sense that i hadn't heard anything but the first song. This was actually a mistake, on the first listen the songs do sound very similar, but its a trick... listen again and again if need be. i forgot that i really like the first song, and what i was hearing were good songs that just needed time to become great. Now i'm over the first bump i listen to this as much as possible as loud as possible and sing along with all my energy. This is an energetic album as far as some fairly dark lyrics and a guitar band can be energetic. The second release off the album- This time- is proof that this is an album of quality, which brings a slightly different sound to a british music scene currently dominated by the likes of Kaiser chiefs (who I also love btw).

Counterfeit Life is an odd mixture of despair and hope (our lives are counterfeit so lets get back to work and make the best of it)with some really great enthusiastic guitar/vocal arrangements. In My Blood displays a strong, quite catchy theme that draws you in; Faith Hope Love is a deeper musical sound with the title words shouted out in the midst of lyrics looking for the strength of those words- it's really quite effective; I Don't Know almost slips the band into a country rock kind of mood, the catchy chorus is unbelievably heartfelt- a real contender for best song on the whole album; there's a nice base line constantly running through Way Back Home that offsets some dark lyrics perfectly (though again there is considerable strength and hope in the lines as well- a good combination with some great music); Keep Us Together is catchy and interesting; another contender for best song- Get Out While You Can has the best chorus of them all, beautifully sung but still really strong; White Light does what it suggests- its sad but determined coming to a point of infinity- some great guitar and drum work on this one too; and Jeremiah- nice acoustic guitar to calm us all down and finish the album.

I can't describe how good this album is, every song is strong and interesting.

The tiniest criticism i have is the lack of song words on the the album booklet- there are photos of the band, some lines from the songs and some arty stuff, all stylish, but I like words. this is just being picky but it would have made it more enjoyable for me!

Mostly i want to say buy this album if you like any of their recent releases, the rest are just as good quality. On the outside is, despite my initial belief that the songs were similar, original and really very cohesive as an entire album. It's great!
 

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