Starsailor - Love Is Here

Despite their enormous success in their native England and their inroads into the US market, Starsailor defies expectations at every turn. While the group takes its name from one of Tim Buckley's most experimental albums, there's nothing remotely Buckley-like or experimental about their sound. And though the quartet is often lumped in with Britpoppers, they share neither the laddish anthems and Beatles obsessions of Oasis nor the friendly pop sensibilities of Travis and Coldplay. Instead, Starsailor offers a moody brand of folk-rock that brings late-period Cat Stevens to mind more than any of the band's contemporaries. With a chiming, organic mix of electric and acoustic guitars and '70s-sounding keyboards, Love Is Here takes the listener through an often angst-ridden series of emotional extremes while never becoming too sonically taxing.( Why does it always rain on me?)