Album Review: Starsailor

Starsailor: All The Plans (EMD Int'l)

1. Tell Me It's Not Over
2. Boy In Waiting
3. The Thames
4. All The Plans
5. Neon Sky
6. You Never Get What You Deserve
7. Hurts Too Much
8. Stars And Stripes
9. Change My Mind
10. Listen Up
11. Safe At Home

Four albums into their career, Starsailor have well and truly estalished themselves as one of the UK's top pop acts. The blend of inoffensive melodies, haunting ballads and water tight, often melodramatic lyrics are on show once again.

The album kicks off with 'Tell Me It's Not Over', a tale of a man who refuses to accept the end of a relationship. The track is brought to life by the punchy piano intro. The next couple of tracks are nothing to write home about, but the middle section of the album really hits the emotions.

Title track 'All The Plans' sets the ball rolling with a trademark Starsailot melody, while 'Neon Sky', 'You Never Get What You Deserve' and 'Hurts Too Much' are pure elegance - James Walsh's exquisite vocals wrapped up in heart-touching guitar riffs.

'Stars and 'Stripes' takes an eloquent pop at imperialism and its failings - "the ground on which you stand, not owned by any man" and there is still time to 'Listen Up' before the album concludes its 40 minute journey through your emotional system.

There are no radical changes to their style on this new release, but while the likes of Keane or Coldplay seem to have worn a bit thin, Starsailor are still full of beans.

Top Track: 'All The Plans'
Album Rating: 8/10





Last 5 NME-E reviews:
U2: 'No Line On The Horizon'
Its A Buffalo: 'Don't Be Scared'
The Trestles: 'Hard Faced Town EP'
The Prodigy: 'Invaders Must Die'
Lily Allen: 'It's Not Me, It's You'

Read all NME-E reviews