The North (Stars album)
| The North | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 4, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | RCA Victor Studios, Montréal | |||
| Genre | Indie pop, new wave, synthpop, baroque pop, electropop | |||
| Length | 43:54 | |||
| Label | ATO Records | |||
| Producer | Graham Lessard, Marcus Paquin, Stars | |||
| Stars chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The North | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Slant Magazine |  [3] |
| Sputnikmusic | [4] |
| Absolutepunk | 85%[5] |
| Pitchfork Media | 6.7/10[6] |
The North is the sixth full-length studio album by Canadian indie pop band Stars. It was released on September 4, 2012, through ATO Records.[7] The album has been characterized as having a more upbeat feel to it compared to previous works, as Amy Millan notes: the album was meant to be "playful, joyful and hopeful."[8] The album debuted at number 5 on the Canadian Albums Chart.[9]
The album's cover shows the Habitat 67 complex, an experimental housing development as well as architectural landmark in Montreal, the band's home city.
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Stars
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Theory of Relativity" | 4:26 |
| 2. | "Backlines" | 2:11 |
| 3. | "The North" | 4:52 |
| 4. | "Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It" | 4:39 |
| 5. | "Through the Mines" | 4:10 |
| 6. | "Do You Want to Die Together?" | 3:12 |
| 7. | "Lights Changing Colour" | 3:06 |
| 8. | "The Loose Ends Will Make Knots" | 2:32 |
| 9. | "A Song is a Weapon" | 3:12 |
| 10. | "Progress" | 3:50 |
| 11. | "The 400" | 3:28 |
| 12. | "Walls" | 4:16 |
| Total length: | 43:54 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "The North" (Breakglass Version) | 3:28 |
| Total length: | 47:22 | |
Reception[edit]
The album has received mainly positive reviews from music critics. Metacritic assigned an average score of 70 to the album based on 22 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[10]
Personnel[edit]
The North album personnel adapted from Discogs.[11]
Stars
- Amy Millan – guitar, vocals
- Torquil Campbell – keyboard, vocals
- Chris Seligman – piano, keyboards, synthesizer, french horn
- Evan Cranley – bass, guitar, synthesizer, percussion, trombone
- Patty McGee – drums, percussion
Production
- Graham Lessard – engineer
- Marcus Paquin – engineer
- Chris McCarron – guitar technician (maintenance)
- Dave Cooley – mastering
- Tony Hoffer – mixing
- Chris Claypool – mixing (assistant)
- Graham Lessard – production
- Marcus Paquin – production
- Stars – production
- David Carswell- additional recording
- John Collins – additional recording
Artwork
- The Cardboardbox Project, Derek Broad – album artwork
References[edit]
- ^ "Critic Reviews for The North – Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ^ Tim Sendra. "Stars – The North review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ^ Kevin Liedel (September 3, 2012). "Stars – The North". Slant Magazine. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ^ jeremologyy. "Stars – The North". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ^ "Chorus.fm". 2 October 2023.
- ^ "The North". Pitchfork.
- ^ Michael Nelson (June 21, 2012). "Stars – "The Theory Of Relativity"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- ^ Bernard Perusse (September 4, 2012). "Stars radiate hope on The North". The Gazette. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/stars/chart-history/canadian-albums
- ^ "The North – Stars". Metacritic. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ^ "Stars – The North". Discogs. 4 September 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
