The North (Stars album)
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 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 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
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
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
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
- "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.