Stars - Set Yourself on Fire

Set Yourself on Fire begins with a spoken: "When there's nothing left to burn you have to set yourself on fire". Thus commences Your Ex-Lover is Dead the haunting opener. If Campbell 's simple, honest vocals don't floor you, then guitarist and singer Amy Millan's enchantingly pure delivery of the stunning line: "This scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin" is sure to do so.

Although the former is certainly a stand out track, the remainder of the album is consistently good. There is not a single song that needs to be skipped, and several are excellent: The jazz-stained melancholy of The Big Fight sees Millan and Campbell assuming the roles of quarrelling lovers and Millan fronts the band on the beautiful, bittersweet Calendar Girl. Delicate orchestration is thoughtfully juxtaposed with guitar-driven electro-pop on this eclectic record.

"Live through this and you won't look back," intones Millan on Your Ex-Lover is Dead . The same could be said of Set Yourself on Fire.