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Stars

House of Blues, Friday, November 9, 7 p.m. 619-299-2583. $15.

From the moment I first heard the song "Ageless Beauty" from Stars' 2005 album Set Yourself on Fire, I was smitten. I kept on being smitten even after I brought home the album and listened to its corny spoken-word introduction. If the album was sometimes a little too sentimental, I thought it was redeemed by the cleverness of the arrangements and the barbs hidden in the lyrics.

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So I kept on being smitten, right up until I tracked down their 2003 album Heart and heard its spoken-word introduction in which each member of the band introduces himself or herself thusly: "I'm Amy, and this is my heart...I'm Torq, and this is my heart," and so on. I thought I had a high tolerance for nakedly romantic pop, but that went past my limit. Since I've heard it I can't listen to Set Yourself on Fire without rolling my eyes.

Stars toured for more than a year to promote Set Yourself on Fire, and it shows: On their new album In Our Bedroom After the War they sound tighter and more powerful. They actually rock from time to time. Side projects by lead singers and main songwriters Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell (notably Millan's solo album and work with Broken Social Scene and Campbell's work with the band Memphis) apparently expanded their songwriting ambitions -- as did a misguided album that enlisted friends to remix Set Yourself on Fire in its entirety. The result is a lushly arranged, often quite beautiful album. But to really get into it, you've got to enjoy the taste of schmaltz.

STARS, House of Blues, Friday, November 9, 7 p.m. 619-299-2583. $15.

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House of Blues, Friday, November 9, 7 p.m. 619-299-2583. $15.

From the moment I first heard the song "Ageless Beauty" from Stars' 2005 album Set Yourself on Fire, I was smitten. I kept on being smitten even after I brought home the album and listened to its corny spoken-word introduction. If the album was sometimes a little too sentimental, I thought it was redeemed by the cleverness of the arrangements and the barbs hidden in the lyrics.

Sponsored
Sponsored

So I kept on being smitten, right up until I tracked down their 2003 album Heart and heard its spoken-word introduction in which each member of the band introduces himself or herself thusly: "I'm Amy, and this is my heart...I'm Torq, and this is my heart," and so on. I thought I had a high tolerance for nakedly romantic pop, but that went past my limit. Since I've heard it I can't listen to Set Yourself on Fire without rolling my eyes.

Stars toured for more than a year to promote Set Yourself on Fire, and it shows: On their new album In Our Bedroom After the War they sound tighter and more powerful. They actually rock from time to time. Side projects by lead singers and main songwriters Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell (notably Millan's solo album and work with Broken Social Scene and Campbell's work with the band Memphis) apparently expanded their songwriting ambitions -- as did a misguided album that enlisted friends to remix Set Yourself on Fire in its entirety. The result is a lushly arranged, often quite beautiful album. But to really get into it, you've got to enjoy the taste of schmaltz.

STARS, House of Blues, Friday, November 9, 7 p.m. 619-299-2583. $15.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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