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Rating:
Yet another comeback of a British band trying to reclaim their place in the brit-pop pantheon after four years of silence since their last album "On the Outside." The lads in question are Starsailor, who seem to have made all the plans to replicate the success of their debut album "Love Is Here" from 2001, and they make an attempt with "All the Plans." Indeed, the melodies on this album are very reminiscent of "Love Is Here": intimate, slow, melancholic. However, the songs on "All the Plans" are less minimalist and more refined in terms of arrangements.
The first single, as planned, is "Tell Me It's Not Over," which is getting good distribution on radio and MTV. It presents itself as the classic romantic and sad ballad: a song that is easily catchy with an excellent piano intro and well interpreted by James Walsh's voice but ultimately a bit tiring...
The return to the origins is definitively confirmed with tracks like "Boy in Waiting", "The Thames", "Safe at Home", but only the latter truly convinces and stands out as one of the best tracks of the album: a very relaxing track, where the vocals and acoustic guitar weave together well.
Among the best tracks of the LP, I also count the dreamlike "Neon Sky" and "All the Plans We Made" which sounds more country and carefree than the other songs; featuring Rolling Stone Ron Wood on guitar.
"You Never Get What You Deserve" is a slow ballad that slides by without praise or criticism except for the nice final solo, while there are tracks that are a bit too sappy like "Change My Mind" and "Hurts Too Much".
In an album that talks about achievable or not projects in life and feelings, Starsailor do not miss out on including a political-pacifist song in the U2 style, inspired by an encounter with various Vietnam survivors in San Francisco. The track, "Stars and Stripes", with its blues rhythm, is enjoyable and differs from the general sound of the album.
"All the Plans" thus represents an attempt by Starsailor to bring back, with some novelties, the sound of "Love Is Here," revealing itself as a bit cloying, sometimes whiny and monotonous but also full of interesting cues and some highlights: it's certainly not a masterpiece but neither is it an album to discard. We'll see if the four lads from Chorley return to the glory of their beginnings, we'll see if everything goes according to (their) plans.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Tell Me It's Not Over (03:23)
Thought I’d lost you once again
All that drinking brought some trouble to our name
Late at night I feel no shame
All my old world stories
Take me back again
Now the lights out
I discover, she is sleeping
With another
Tell me it’s not over
What a place to seal your fate
A deserted car park
Not even a date
Please don’t tell me it’s too late
If you love someone don't throw it all away
Now the lights out
I discover, just a weekend
undercover
Tell me it’s not over
Tell me it’s not over
Tell me it’s not over
Now the lights out
I discover, just a weekend
undercover
Now the lights out
I discover, she is sleeping
With another
Tell me it’s not over
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