Starsailor - On The Outside (EMI) Released 17/10/05

 

The buzzword surrounding the release of Starsailor’s third album is “urgency”. But what does this mean? An artist’s inner sense of urgency is arguably essential to their ability to create something brilliant: battling your inner demons, feeling mixed up, lost, abandoned, the need to get something out that’s plaguing you. However, as the album title suggests, Starsailor are looking on the outside. Sure enough, there are songs about people judging or doubting them and them seem preoccupied with being written off. This is where their urgency lies and as a result, they’ve produced an album that’s hard to get enthusiastic about.

 

‘I Don’t Know’ and ‘In My Blood’ are equally forgettable and bland. While the former is at least an angsty, bluesy diversion, the latter reminds you of the bits of Starsailor you really don’t like. The song is about maintaining the passion in a relationship once the monotony of paying bills and raising kids sets in. You want your rock n roll sexy, stylish and unpredictable, not reeking of dirty nappies! While ‘This Time’s’ up tempo introduction and verse are listenable, they are let down by a weak chorus. The repetitive ‘Get Out While You Can’ also joins the long line of tunes jostling for the boring bin.

 

 All is not lost however. Single ‘In The Crossfire’ is big, anthemic and coupled with Walsh’s impassioned roar, will have increased the band’s commercial currency. With ‘Keep Us Together’ Walsh writes emotively about the coming together of communities who are disillusioned by their leaders, whilst avoiding smothering the listener with a huge blanket woven out of Sting’s pubic hair. ‘Jeremiah’ is inspired by the unexplained death of British student Jeremiah Duggan and a beautiful acoustic ballad. Walsh’s voice crackles with emotion as he utters the line “his poor young life was pulled from under him”.   A welcome variation, ‘Faith Hope Love’ offers a teasing glimpse of a Starsailor’s rockier side: Their hardest, most rousing sound to date, this could be fantastic live. ‘Counterfeit Life’ also relies on spiked guitars, with shades of mid-career Stereophonics. The organ is a welcome addition to this track, producing a tasty extra layer that oozes out at the sides like cream. But while this will satisfy existing fans, is it enough for Starsailor to be told by their friends that they don’t have a fat arse in those jeans, when they blatantly do?