Stills
(Arts+Crafts)
The Stills' third release starts off strongly enough with the type of soaring, synth-driven pop that helped the Canadian group snag widespread critical acclaim in 2003. Their solid debut, Logic Will Break Your Heart, fell in lock step with the sensitive aesthetic of Coldplay and Doves, delivering hit singles that were beautiful, earnest and just a tad bit defiant.
Five years later, one lineup change and one so-so sophomore album under their belt, The Stills amp up the anger and attempt to branch out with an Earth-in-crisis release that tackles questions worthy of a late-night toke: Who are we? Why are we here? What are we doing to the environment?! Pass the bong-and the voter registration packet, pronto.
With substance secured beneath the sheen, Rise carefully presents an uneven batch of jangly, moody and slightly experimental rock anthems whose message is often lost in translation. The Stills might want listeners to examine the big picture, but they seem to make radical changes to their own predicament-which is to say, a few degrees short of standing out. To wit, Rise is at its best when the band takes risks, as on the raw, percussive-heavy "Snakecharming the Masses."
Much of the album, however, relies on earnest melodies that ultimately fall flat. Of course, the most cloying track, "Being Here"-which sounds like a generic backing track to any network television show's romantic/inspirational climax-might easily be their ticket to Top 40.
Rise is clean, crisp and catchy, but largely forgettable. It's a shame, really, because The Stills are obviously talented fellows who haven't quite solved the riddle of blowing our minds.
Standout Tracks: "Snakecharming the Masses," "Rooibos/Palm Wine Drunkard' JAMIE GADETTE
