After having been unofficially promoted positively by the NME magazine at a live gig, Starsailor was quickly signed to EMI with little hesitation by either the group or EMI itself. This was a stroke of luck for the group after some years of playing in small venues and wanting to make it big. Although Rock Music was steadily declining in popularity during this time, this album has been seen as a successful one in many ways in the Rock genre. Many reviewers compared the album to the likes of Coldplay and Travis in terms of musical sound and structure. In any case, the album art and more importantly, the music should be a good representation of what Starsailor was all about. Let’s take a listen to this album and hear exactly what it sounds like.

Tie Up My Hands begins with dual-tracked and mellow acoustic guitars. This is very much a melancholy moody sort of listening experience from the start. Nonetheless, this is quite good to listen to and enjoy. Eventually, singing emerges by vocalist James Walsh about the processes of women’s beauty. It continues on gradually and sweetly musically, and this sounds very deep and emotional. This is not a million miles away from the post-Radiohead music of the early 2000s that was fashionable at the time. It sounds deep, introspective and mellow. Soon enough, quiet percussion enters and we are underway on our musical journey here. This already sounds like a fairly underrated album from the start. When this tune approaches the midsection, it builds up in intensity and energy. Many sounds and musical structures are not a million miles away from Coldplay’s 2000 Parachutes album, released the year before. Moody piano enters in the second half of this tune, which makes for a different listening experience. All in all, if you like emotional music, this will work out well for you. A great song nonetheless, the music here is stunning. A great song about being in love in difficult circumstances, and it sounds very beautiful and colourful. A good start to quite an exciting and different album release than what you’d expect. The outro has a quick conclusion before we enter into the next track.

Poor Misguided Fool begins with strummed acoustic guitars and beats galore, with some great singing and emotional piano. This song is again, about relationship-based matters and the music is very clean, pristine and emotionally touching. This is definitely along the lines of Radiohead and Coldplay-styled miserablism, but it sounds pretty and enjoyable regardless in its own way. This is more something to be heard to be cherished, it has a consistent and excellent musical quality to it. The chorus has some really excellent singing, and James Walsh proves that you don’t need to scream at all to make a musical point. He sings about romance and romantic-based ideals in a deep, emotional and straightforward manner. This is a good song nonetheless that points ahead to the future of music at the time, being very well done and polished in the studio. Worth a listen.

Alcoholic begins with a slow piano and some awesome singing about the nature and distress of family situations and growing up in a difficult set of circumstances. This is a great mixture of Classical Music leanings with some melancholy-styled emotional Rock Music that sounds great. Eventually, it turns into a decent and appreciable musical ballad with piano galore. Great to listen to, this is an underrated album that has some good songs that one can appreciate in a sad mood. This builds up in volume and intensity in the second half, before reaching a pretty climax, repeating the verses about a lady’s father being a drunkard and her mother holding her emotions inside throughout her own life. A good and interesting listen, this ends slowly and smoothly with a prominent piano. Sweet.

Lullaby begins with 12-string acoustic guitars and some Electronic sounds, which is quite different for this album. Drumbeats quickly enter, followed by piano and an emotional song to be listening to. A very good piece of music, it sounds like what some Classical Musicians would create if they were alive today. This does sound very, very good and is proof that this album is very underrated. A song devoted to a lady that one is in love with, the romance here sounds lovely and irresistable to hear. The chorus is awesome and is a good song for Folk Rock musicians to play to their lovers. Nonetheless, this sounds sweet, with some awesome guitar progressions leading into a loud and Fender-style Blues pickup guitar solo. Again, this is similar to Coldplay, but it sounds magical and lovely in its own way. The lyrics are very bittersweet, and romantic as well. This looks back to the romanticism of The Beatles, who made it acceptable to wear one’s heart on their sleeve. A fantastic song, it ends with an organ.

Way To Fall begins with some Nick Drake-styled acoustic guitar playing, which is different, ironically enough. Perhaps the song and title were derived from Nick Drake’s own Way To Blue. Regardless, a piano quickly enters, and we launch into the most popular tune from this album. This is another disturbing piece of moody melancholy and was a radio staple around the time of release. All the same, this music is fantastic to listen to, and it has some great polished production, playing and performances here. A moody tune that is borderline depressing to listen to, but it redeems itself by being so excellent a tune. The music here is really excellent and is full of regret and disappointment throughout in emotional terms. A really great and excellent song. In the second half is minimal drumming, singular acoustic guitar chords strummed and spacey Electronic sounds. It then, without warning, launches into a psychotic guitar solo that sounds energetic and moodsetting. James Walsh sounds somewhat like Thom Yorke of Radiohead here with his singing, but sounding more humane and emotional as well than the Radiohead star. A really great song to listen to, it ends softly with a gentle conclusion. Great tune and a must-listen from this album.

Fever begins with a keyboard and slowly strummed acoustic guitar. It sounds a lot like Radiohead, yet again. Soon enough, intricate drumming emerges and we are underway here. James Walsh exudes confidence and a great melody as a singer. There is zero pretension in these songs on this album, which is a very strong selling point musically. The chorus, when it comes, hits well and is a very, very good listening experience. An enjoyable trip through the world of postmodern music, everything on this album is very much near perfect. This is Coldplay with some more interesting musicianship and less of the fake and pretentious “nice guy” image that Chris Martin of Coldplay engineered the group to present to the public. Musically, this is an awesome listen. This music needs more attention from listeners today. There is a sweet organ solo that along with acoustic guitar, works nicely. Intricate drumming then returns this song to the verses, and the whole thing sounds really introspective, pretty and artistic. A great tune, this eventually wraps up well with a good mesh of instrumentation to conclude. Great.

She Just Wept begins with multitracked acoustic guitars that sound deep and pretty musically. This is an interesting listening experience that sounds awesome and melodic. This goes on for some time before James Walsh sings deeply, emotionally and with emotional pain throughout. This is melodrama set to clean, pristine Rock Music and it works extremely well on the listener. A deep, emotional and different listening, this is a sorrowful tale of losing love and broken-hearted relationships. Nonetheless, this dramaticism works very, very well. This is a touching musical ballad from those who love music that reaches the heart and soul. In the second half are multitracked acoustic and electric guitars with a very simple guitar solo present. This is followed by multitracked sounds, including piano. A very good effort, particularly when the mood strikes. Just killer and it is extremely beautiful.

Talk Her Down begins with some loudly strummed acoustic guitar and upfront vocals. This quickly launches into a bass guitar and piano-dominated piece that sounds really cool. Another interesting and introspective listening from Starsailor, this works a treat. The musicianship is really excellent, pristine and polished. Towards the middle are some interesting and sweet musical progressions, driven by guitar and piano that sound top-notch. This is a really underrated song, and indeed, album listening experience. With lyrics and music prettier than an Impressionist painting, this does sound uniquely enjoyable overall. This tune has some crashing drums, hard strummed acoustic guitar and other songs in the solo section, before launching back into the verses present. A very good tune to listen to, even if does go on a bit longer than it should. A fresh and dynamic Rock Music listening experience. It ends with an extremely memorable vocal. Another great song.

Love Is Here begins with some sombre keyboard playing, which sounds eerie. Slow drumming then enters, and we are underway on this song, with more piano present. Some really heartfelt lyrics are present. Mind you, James Walsh does diss the songs present at hand, which is incredibly odd lyrically. Still, this is beautiful, with great playing on the instruments and is a song that is difficult to forget. There is a keyboard/organ solo in the first half, before the main section of music resumes. The music ploughs on and this tune is a very interesting one to hear. A raw and emotional story of love, this is something one should add to their Spotify playlist. There is a weird guitar solo in the second half, possibly playing on a Gibson guitar here for a change. Nonetheless, this music does work. “If you could see the aching in me, I’d change my name in case you lost me…” is a mere example of the emotional and psychological trauma in this particular song. This is another really excellent tune that deserves to be heard. A great ballad with some interesting sounds, playing and textures. Definitely worth hearing, this is a sad but brilliant listening experience. Worth listening to.

Good Souls begins with some more upbeat and quick acoustic guitar playing, along with drums. James Walsh sounds a lot like Richard Ashcroft present in his singing on this song. The music here is a unique listening experience as well, in its own way. This is a likely drug-influenced listen and is a very happy and positive tune. Some imaginative lyrics are present here as well. This is a better, more upbeat and enjoyable song that makes many of Starsailor’s contemporaries look weak as a result. A cool and relaxing listen, this shows an inspired and more positive listening experience that is a definite highlight of this album. This showcases that these guys were deeply inspired by the British Music of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The second half of this tune has a decent and well-produced mixture of sounds. A good listening experience and something rewarding, should you desire to listen to it. The na-na-na’s in the background in the outro makes for an interesting listen. This ends with an acoustic guitar strumming away, along with an organ. The song segues into the next tune.

Coming Down is the last song on this album, and has a hidden track contained within it. It begins with some organ leftover from the last track, strummed acoustic guitars that are multitracked and atonal sounding, with some good singing emerging about remaining sober and keeping in control, as opposed to a partner who is not. An interesting clash of personalities on the matter, this reflects the miserablism of Radiohead from their 1997 OK Computer release onwards. All the same, this is very interesting and it works a treat. A sad tune, but something worthwhile hearing from this album. This has a great chorus with baritone-styled harmonies in the background, over the singing and acoustic guitar. This tune is very pretty, and it gradually concludes with percussive and well-played acoustic guitar chord strumming, before wrapping up. Silence follows for over 10 minutes, so don’t hang around. Eventually, this is followed by a set of very pretty harmonies that sound well-sung and great towards the end as a hidden track. This is a good way to conclude a very consistent and interesting album from start to finish. Laughter then emerges to finish up, and the album concludes.

This is a really well-done album that, although lacks some originality in terms of musical ideas, is overall a very decent listening experience that is quite underrated. For the fact that Coldplay fever was just beginning to kick off at the time, it should have received more recognition as an album release than what it has done to date. That can always change, right now. Should you listen to this album? If you like some moody, serious yet polished Rock Music, this is likely a great fit for you. Even fans of other genres will appreciate this album. A good listen overall.

An underrated album that needs more attention.

8/10