Starsailor
Love Is Here
On Sale Now
For $8.28

Around the beginning of 2001, the British music press was hyping up a young band as the next big musical thing. No, I am not talking about The Strokes. Before the boys from New York City sucked up all the media attention, Starsailor attracted a tremendous amount of hype, based on just a few early singles. This is not to say that Starsailor was completely forgotten after The Strokes invasion (their debut album Love is Here checked in at #2 on the British charts in October), but they were certainly not scrutinized as much by the media. The redirection of attention allowed Starsailor to bloom very naturally and steadily: first overseas and now in the States, as Love is Here was released on January 8, 2002.

The first thing to mention about Love is Here is simply how much I love it; the album was included in my top ten records of 2001. It is a positive, life-affirming set of lovely melodies and wide-eyed, fresh lyrical observations. Lead singer James Walsh has a powerful voice that is highly reminiscent of The Verve's Richard Ashcroft, and this similarity is certainly not a bad characteristic. Walsh's voice is what first grips you about this record, as it completely demands your attention. The guy was simply born to sing in a rock band.

Instrumentally, Starsailor are incredibly tight: they seamlessly incorporate the basic instruments of rock (guitars, bass, keyboards, drums) into a beautiful and unique sound. But this is not languidly beautiful music to listen to in the bathtub: Starsailor can legitimately "rock out," especially on "Lullaby" and "Poor Misguided Fool." "Fever" features a funky Rhodes organ and a wonderful variation of textures and pacings, while the opener "Tie Up My Hands" slowly grows louder and louder, drawing the listener in more with every successive verse. Then, there's "Good Souls," one of last year's best singles. It's the kind of epic anthem that British people (and myself) typically go crazy for (see The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony," Oasis's "Live Forver," Coldplay's "Yellow"). Grounded by a rolling bass and spacey keyboard effects, "Good Souls" makes the simple statement, "Thank goodness for the good souls who make life better." In the wake of September 11, such a statement is incredibly powerful, and through their simplicity, Walsh's words form a wholly true statement that everyone knows but never really stops to think about. "Good Souls" is an instant classic.

Lyrically, Walsh has a unique voice in terms of his phrasings and observations. The following oft-quoted line from "Alcoholic" illustrates what makes Walsh such a talented lyricist: "Don't you know you got your daddy's eyes / And Daddy was an alcoholic." This line is both striking and highly poetic because Walsh sees things differently and knows how to put his observations into music and hit the listener on a visceral level. Aside from some sub par lyrics ("If you get high on life / Don't leave me behind"), Walsh shows himself an excellent scribe on Love is Here.

Love is Here is a near-perfect debut album filled with great songs and insightful thoughts. As a longtime fan of emotional and gorgeously arranged British rock, Starsailor is perfect for me, and I firmly believe that anyone interested in the new wave of sensitive and melodic mainstream acoustic-driven music (Coldplay, David Gray) will love Starsailor as well. In addition, they're better than The Strokes.

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