Arts & Crafts
2007
In Our Bedroom After The War
About This Album
In Our Bedroom After the War may prove that Torquil Campbell would be better off orchestrating Broadway show tunes instead of playing the part of an indie pop frontman. The titular song that ends Stars' fourth album is a heavily layered theatrical production laced with birds singing and bells ringing as Campbell's relationship culminates with a choir of voices and a massive symphonic crescendo. Campbell and crew are striving for a bigger-is-better formula, watering down the majority of their rock sensibilities with heavily layered chamber pop and this makes for a mixed bag. While some of Stars' best songs appear on this record, others are performed with such an overstated bravado that it renders them too sour to digest. "Personal" is a character-driven melodramatic ditty that chronicles a protagonist who places a newspaper ad and is stood up because she is too obese. Two schmaltzy piano ballads feature Campbell delivering his best imitation of Morrissey covering Elton John, in a manner of campy crooning that could easily be interpreted as pomposity. With the exception of those decadent stinkers, and a few mediocre numbers, Campbell and Amy Milan churn out some of their best work and harmonize soothingly throughout.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 1,2,3,5 and 7)

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Disc 2

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