2007, Arts & Crafts International

Based around a male-female vocal duet and catchy beats, Stars have continued to release good Indie-pop albums, and In Our Bedroom After the War is no exception.

The main difference from past efforts is that they’ve done more to fill out their sound with richer harmonies, fuller instrumentation, and all-around more energy.

The voices of Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan compliment each other beautifully, and on songs like “Midnight Coward and Personal,” they sing back and forth like old friends having a conversation. “The Ghost of Genova Heights” is definitely another standout because it is different. Rooted in pop-funk, this song grooves just a touch harder than the other tracks.

Every song on this album has wonderful shape and movement; there are highs and lows within each song to make, overall, a complex and interesting landscape.

B+