The Stills Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
The commercial highlight of the Stills' third album is "Being Here," an uplifting piece of U2-inspired rock that finds a compromise between the band's post-rock beginnings and the dusty Technicolor strains of Without Feathers. Tim Fletcher's vocals are the stuff of stadium rock shows -- all high notes, reverb, and crackling passion -- and guitarist Dave Hamelin plays descending riffs like the Edge's hipster doppelganger. Nothing else on Oceans Will Rise matches that sort of grandeur, but the band still sounds energized and confident throughout these 12 tracks. Appropriately, this is the first time the Stills have returned with their lineup intact -- co-founder Greg Paquet quit in 2005 to finish college, drummer Julien Blais and keyboardist Liam O'Neil joined the group soon after, and former drummer Dave Hamelin took up Paquet's vacant spot on lead guitar. Coupled with a natural desire to push the envelope, the new version of the Stills took a different approach to 2006's Without Feathers, but they didn't seem at home -- quite possibly because they'd already been pigeonholed as disciples of Joy Division, a band that shared few similarities with the Stills' new sound. Without Feathers was a conscious move away from that style, from the congested genre that had labeled the Stills a New York band despite their Canadian citizenship. The flaw wasn't in the songwriting itself, but in the band's inability to form a tight enough unit to deliver such an unexpected album. It's with relief, then, that the Stills pull themselves together for Oceans Will Rise. Like Without Feathers, the album explores a continent's worth of new territory, but it does so with brash confidence and a subtle "screw you" attitude. The bandmates don't bat an eyelash when they throw a disjointed bridge into the middle of "Being Here," only to launch back into the song's accessible hook 20 seconds later. "Panic" features a similar moment; before the tune concludes with chiming guitar arpeggios and thick harmonies, the band launches into a heavy metal onslaught for four quick measures. Perhaps the Stills' strongest asset is knowing when to say when, and Oceans Will Rise also features a number of well-crafted songs that don't feature such unanticipated turns. "Snow in California" tackles climate change with lush, electro-shoegaze atmospherics, while the eerie, percussive "Snakecharming the Masses" -- perhaps the best tune the Music never wrote -- explores the band's lingering dark side. Oceans Will Rise is a return to form for the Stills, who've earned their merit as an experimental group with a strong knack for pop/rock hooks. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Logic Will Break Your Heart, with its brooding post-punk soundscapes and art rock swagger, topped many a best-of list in 2003, branding the Stills as the next Interpol, British Sea Power, etc. For their long-awaited follow-up, the Stills ditched their Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen records for Ziggy Stardust, early Elton John, and Muswell Hillbillies-era Kinks, resulting in a record that is the physical embodiment of polarity. Without Feathers isn't so much a departure as it is a complete reinvention for the Montreal quartet. Only the "Killing Moon"-esque "Helicopters" and the Spoon-worthy "Halo the Harpoons" hint at the band's eyeliner past. The earthy arrangements of Hammond organ, piano, guitar, bass, and drums that populate the rest of the album recall the group's Canadian forefather, Neil Young. The two-punch opening onslaught of "In the Beginning" and "The Mountain" sets the tone, relying on the kind of gritty, melodic, and distinctly blue-collar aesthetic that drove the Doves' "Some Cities" in 2005. The barrage of midtempo filler/killer that follows almost brings the album to a complete halt, but the Stills redeem themselves on the rowdy, horn-led "It Takes Time," "Destroyer," and "Baby Blues," the latter a winsome duet with Metric/Broken Social Scene's Emily Haines that shows they can balance the two styles with grace and dignity. Without Feathers may lack its predecessor's apocalyptic vision, but it's a new direction for a group that was heading down an awfully familiar -- and extremely congested -- road. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
'Intonation Festival 2006'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 9
Label Connect
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Logic Will Break Your Heart'
Release Date 10/21/2003
Tracks 12
Label Vice
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
On their debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart, the Stills are stubbornly unyielding when it comes to being put in the same class as the Walkmen, Interpol, and the like. The Stills aren't boastful in doing so, but they are indeed different and stylishly unlike their counterparts. The modern sound of Logic Will Break Your Heart is undoubtedly rooted in post-punk threads of the Cure and the Smiths, but the Stills create something that's partly glamorous and fully imaginative. One will notice that they're still a young band and bright-eyed in developing a sound that's magical and solid to them. Their Rememberese EP barely hinted at such, but the charm of songs such as "Lola Stars and Stripes" and "Changes Are No Good" indicates that the Stills are on to fully realizing what they're capable of. They flirt with a dark, art-pop design not unlike Interpol, but the Stills' approach is tangible. Singer/guitarist Tim Fletcher gives a warm, haunting delivery as the band molds a blackish romance throughout the dozen-track set. Guitarist Greg Paquet complements his passionate presentation with his strict, aggressive playing style, in turn manifesting the Stills' dreamy kind of rock & roll. From the shimmering synth beats of "Ready for It" to Dave Hamelin's surging percussion crash on "Animals and Insects," Logic Will Break Your Heart is posh enough to stand alone. The Stills were so intent in writing and recording a vibrant new sound and they succeeded. As songwriters, there's an innocence dancing with a bittersweet fantasy on Logic Will Break Your Heart. It's a fantastic pop record and, as much as some would like to disagree, these Canadians pulled off a sound that has nothing to do with New York City. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
