Starsailor - 'Love Is Here' (EMI)
4/5
By: Toby L
With 2001 already seeing the demise of several once prominent specimens of the UK scene - Elastica, Catatonia and, of course, 5ive - the search is on to find those that shall be replacing the bands of old.
Somewhat bizarrely, it seemed at some points this year that the search had started early - with the hyping of bands never before coming across as so fierce (and annoying) from the British press. The last eight months have seen faces turn and ears open towards acts such as The Strokes and - more recently - The White Stripes, because the US became 'hip' again. However, the one burning light that shone for the shores this side of the Atlantic was from a whining northern soul group, Starsailor, who finally release their debut.
As with all 'hotly anticipated debut albums', the pressure is on - luckily, this hasn't been a worry for this Chorley foursome, or at least it doesn't sound like it has, for 'Love Is Here' is a modern classic. Anyone lucky enough to have caught them on the live circuit within the last year will have noticed that James Walsh and co. weren't just another guitar band; the piano-playing of Barry Westhead hasn't been in the foreground of alternative music for what seems like an age.
And this is where the controversy steps in: do the band look too far behind to the talent of yester-years to get their influences? Well, the evidence is on record - and, no, they don't. There's no disputing the fact that it does occasionally get a bit Buckley - both Tim and Jeff - in parts, but that's only because of Walsh's huge voice, which - to try and harness - would be a crime. The theme of the songwriting is actually timeless too - well-told tales of virtually every kind of relationship known to man: the tragic yet heart-rending pain depicted within 'Alcoholic'; the feeling of being lost or trapped in 'Tie Up My Hands'; whilst the uplifting and celebratory 'Good Souls' provides the welcome contrast.
This all makes much of a lasting impression and one that you want to turn back to, ensuring durability in what is essentially a hopelessly rich record. In fact, such is the power on much of 'Love Is Here's material that the track-by-track continuity is quite dense, not flowing remarkably subtly. However - then again - how is this ever going to happen when you combine the infectious 'Talk Her Down' with the soothing, romantic chimes of 'Lullaby' and drastically large arrangements of 'Way To Fall' and 'Fever'? One thing's for sure, producer Steve Osborne has justified his project-fee.
In a hunch: what is left in your CD-player? Simply, an album that you can turn to time and time again - when you're content, woeful or merely prepared to listen to something that will leave a mark on you. The likes of Neil Young and, to a degree, Van Morrison may have helped form the quartet's vision, but Starsailor will undoubtedly be forming the basis of record-collections for future generations of music-makers that aim to be the best in their field. This is a truly relevant LP that will last the zeitgeist of recent months - and to the band's future advantage.
Artists in this article: Starsailor
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