Starsailor - 'Poor Misguided Fool' (EMI)
4/5
By: Toby L
Starsailor are fulfilling the prophecy that they were expected to plough through over twelve months ago. They've got a platinum, classic debut album in the form of 'Love Is Here', a top-40 hit, two top-20s and a top-10 single, plus a live-reputation others would kill for. The response overseas to their UK flair and charm has been, similarly, rapturously received. So why a fifth single from the same album?
Well, why not? If you're going to fully stretch for maximised sales-figures, then this may well be a good aid to help them notch up further shifts in units. But surely it shouldn't be as cold as that? Well, it isn't, to be fair. This single was originally going to be the band's pre-Xmas 2001 single, yet they instead went for the equally terrific 'Lullaby'. Now, though, with a 2002 release-date and possibly their last 45 for quite some time, Starsailor have certainly been ensuring that the quality-content remains on a consistent and maybe even progressive high.
'Poor Misguided Fool' is a simple affair, possessive of a straightforward strumming guitar, rotating bass-line and drums that hardly demand a grand effort to make such a noise. But, what is present, more-so than ever before, is Barry Westhead's sublime usage of piano and keyboards which completely fuse and hinge together a haunting quality to the track; this successfully maintains the single's edge in an otherwise very commercial song.
So, as the campaign spreads overseas for the band to project on to further music-fans their 'hippyish' and love-filled temperament, let's hope foreign destinations are also able to absorb the beauty on offer. You'd have to be the title of this song to not want to join in.
Artists in this article: Starsailor
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment