Albums to watch

The Five Ghosts

Stars

The Five Ghosts

Fifth album from the Canadian indie rock / indie pop outfit, and first on their own label

ADM rating[?]

6.5

Label
Vagrant
UK Release date
21/06/2010
  1. 8.0 |   Rave Magazine

    A rather excellent pop record because it understands how to effectively balance the melancholy and the dancefloor
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  2. 8.0 |   Q

    Stars may yet be stars. Print edition only

  3. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    It’s perplexing that a band as fine-tuned and match-fit as these Canadians haven’t crossed over into anything approximating the mainstream
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  4. 7.0 |   FasterLouder

    The Five Ghosts is only eleven songs long, but would have been a much stronger album were a couple of select tracks left on the cutting room floor
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  5. 7.0 |   NME

    Print edition only

  6. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    An enjoyable and satisfying record for one of indie pop’s most consistent bands
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  7. 7.0 |   Under The Radar

    Another album in a long line of works that are sure to make teens weep and well-adjusted adults hopelessly nostalgic
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  8. 7.0 |   Blurt

    Lacking weight seems to be the point, despite downtempo numbers outweighing the sing alongs. Happy or sad, Stars is here for a good time
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  9. 7.0 |   AU Review

    With The Five Ghosts, the Canadian quintet has escaped the limbo of the nearly-bands and gatecrashed indie-pop heaven
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  10. 6.8 |   Beats Per Minute

    Will give you a perfectly adequate sampling of what they’re all about, but long time fans know that Stars are capable of much more than “adequate.”
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  11. 6.0 |   Spin

    Cute isn't what Stars aim for, but it's often what they achieve
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  12. 6.0 |   No Ripcord

    A constant bout of dreamy synth lines underlines the meat of the production, managing to maintain an atmospheric feel that seesaws the same way the Cocteau Twins meshed swooping vocals with emotional clarity
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  13. 6.0 |   No Ripcord

    Beneath the as-expected saccharine rush, The Five Ghosts sounds as conceptually divisive as it’s conflicted subject matter
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  14. 6.0 |   Eye Weekly

    Missteps aside, there are pop gems hidden on the record
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  15. 6.0 |   Uncut

    Print edition only

  16. 6.0 |   The Guardian

    It's all absurdly pretty. Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan's conversational vocals recall Prefab Sprout's Paddy McAloon and Dubstar's Sarah Blackwood respectively
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  17. 6.0 |   The Independent

    The voices of Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan combine in a Deacon Blue/Prefab Sprout manner over a shoegazerly thrum of guitars and tentative piano
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  18. 5.7 |   Pitchfork

    This is a sluggish record, and a good deal of the blame rests on the production
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  19. 5.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    There are nice tunes, but they’re all in weak musical chassis... everything is so damn limp
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Stars: The Five Ghosts

  • Download full album for just £10.49
  • 1. Dead Hearts £0.99
  • 2. Wasted Daylight £0.99
  • 3. I Died So I Could Haunt You £0.99
  • 4. Fixed £0.99
  • 5. We Don't Want Your Body £0.99
  • 6. He Dreams He's Awake £0.99
  • 7. Changes £0.99
  • 8. The Passenger £0.99
  • 9. The Last Song Ever Written £0.99
  • 10. How Much More £0.99
  • 11. Winter Bones £0.99
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