Solid but unoriginal four-years-in-the-making fourth album
If Wigan’s Starsailor have fallen a little by the critical and commercial wayside in recent years, while the likes of Coldplay, Keane and Snow Patrol have hoovered up all the acclaim, attention and awards, they’re now coming out fighting on this, their long-awaited, four-years-in-the-making, fourth album.
The first cut and album opener ‘Tell Me It’s Not Over’ – a taut and evocative plea from a regretful boyfriend jilted because of his bad behaviour – is probably their best effort since ‘Alcoholic’: “Thought I’d lost you once again/All that drinking brought some trouble to our name/Late at night I feel no shame...”
The guitar-driven title-track is an Oasis-style number about how “I wanna win your heart”, but the wistful ‘You Never Get What You Deserve’ could be more prophetic than they’d wish. They’re certainly not reinventing themselves here (Steve Osbourne is producing again), but hooks, melodies and anthemic choruses are all present, correct and sounding better than ever.
Not massively original, but genuinely heartfelt, you suspect that Starsailor see themselves as the band that The Verve could’ve become if they hadn’t gotten so caught up in sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll silliness. And they’re possibly right (though they did draft Ronnie Wood in to play on the sessions for this). Bar a massive stroke of luck, they’re never going to be as big as they hope – and possibly deserve. But if there’s any justice in the world, and with three million plus album sales already in the swag bag, these nice guys of Brit rock should do alright for themselves.

Key Track:'The Thames'