The North (Stars album)
| The North | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||||
| Studio album by Stars | ||||||||||
| Released | September 4, 2012 | |||||||||
| Recorded | RCA Victor Studios, Montréal | |||||||||
| Genre | Indie pop, new wave, synthpop, baroque pop, electropop | |||||||||
| Length | 43:54 | |||||||||
| Label | ATO Records | |||||||||
| Producer | Graham Lessard, Marcus Paquin, Stars | |||||||||
| Stars chronology | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Slant Magazine |  [3] |
| Sputnikmusic | [4] |
| Absolutepunk | 85%[5] |
| Pitchfork Media | 6.7/10[6] |
The North is the sixth full-length studio album by Canadian indie pop band Stars. It was released on September 4, 2012, through ATO Records.[7] The album has been characterized as having a more upbeat feel to it compared to previous works, as Amy Millan notes: the album was meant to be "playful, joyful and hopeful."[8] The album debuted at number 5 on the Canadian Albums Chart.[9]
The album's cover shows the Habitat 67 complex, an experimental housing development as well as architectural landmark in Montreal, the band's home city.
Track listing
All tracks written by Stars.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Theory of Relativity" | 4:26 |
| 2. | "Backlines" | 2:11 |
| 3. | "The North" | 4:52 |
| 4. | "Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It" | 4:39 |
| 5. | "Through the Mines" | 4:10 |
| 6. | "Do You Want to Die Together?" | 3:12 |
| 7. | "Lights Changing Colour" | 3:06 |
| 8. | "The Loose Ends Will Make Knots" | 2:32 |
| 9. | "A Song is a Weapon" | 3:12 |
| 10. | "Progress" | 3:50 |
| 11. | "The 400" | 3:28 |
| 12. | "Walls" | 4:16 |
| Total length: | 43:54 | |
| Amazon.com & iTunes digital download bonus track | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 13. | "The North" (Breakglass Version) | 3:28 |
| Total length: | 47:22 | |
Reception
The album has received mainly positive reviews from music critics. Metacritic assigned an average score of 70 to the album based on 22 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews."[10]
Personnel
The North album personnel adapted from Discogs.[11]
Stars
- Amy Millan - guitar, vocals
- Torquil Campbell - keyboard, vocals
- Chris Seligman - piano, keyboards, synthesizer, french horn
- Evan Cranley - bass, guitar, synthesizer, percussion, trombone
- Patty McGee - drums, percussion
Production
- Graham Lessard - engineer
- Marcus Paquin - engineer
- Chris McCarron - guitar technician (maintenance)
- Dave Cooley - mastering
- Tony Hoffer - mixing
- Chris Claypool - mixing (assistant)
- Graham Lessard - production
- Marcus Paquin - production
- Stars - production
- David Carswell- additional recording
- John Collins - additional recording
Artwork
- The Cardboardbox Project, Derek Broad - album artwork
References
- ↑ "Critic Reviews for The North - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ↑ Tim Sendra. "Stars - The North review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ↑ Kevin Liedel (September 3, 2012). "Stars - The North". Slant Magazine. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ↑ jeremologyy. "Stars - The North". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ↑ http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=2886652
- ↑ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16975-the-north/
- ↑ Michael Nelson (June 21, 2012). "Stars – "The Theory Of Relativity"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- ↑ Bernard Perusse (September 4, 2012). "Stars radiate hope on The North". The Gazette. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ↑ http://www.billboard.com/artist/280368/stars/chart?f=309
- ↑ "The North - Stars". Metacritic. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ↑ "Stars - The North". Discogs. Retrieved September 8, 2012.