As this album came out quite awhile ago now it is a little easier to look back and see if The Stills panned out to what they were supposed to. They were lauded by a few to be the next Interpol, which it seems that they did not quite live up to and as such anything I say here is probably old news. If it happens to be the case that you haven't heard of the Stills yet, then by all means read on good folks.
The Stills live in the vein of melancholy rock-pop songs driven heavily by guitars. They borrow heavily from the scene they share with Interpol, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, etc. (all whom they've toured with) which in turn relies on Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen. Although none of these bands around today are pushing new ground as such, they are doing a heck of a job keeping their music relevant.
Tim Fletcher does a great job with the vocals; he can draw you in and keep you in a state of tense melancholy (which is a good thing). Animals & Insects, Still In Love, Gender Bombs, and Lola Stars & Stripes are the standout tracks on this album. Nothing you will have on repeat, but this album is better listened to in entirety anyway. Overall The Stills do a good job but have been overshadowed by Interpol, probably with good reason.
3/4
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