I have something to admit. I am the music fan every record label hates. I download albums when they leak, and after several listens I publicly declare that the album is either brilliant or complete garbage. I justify my piracy by heavily promoting the albums I do enjoy and making sure that I’m in stores the week the album is released to support the artist. Leaks have become an inevitable problem for the music industry. There’s very little that a label or artist to do to ensure that their album doesn’t make its way online and then spread around the Internet.

Many artists have decided to take matters in their own hands however, which brings us to Stars. On July 10th, Stars essentially leaked their fourth studio album album, In Our Bedroom After the War, by releasing it to digital retailers two months early. Opening up the album to the online world in both legal and illegal forums, the early leak was a hopeful attempt to provide the album early to the fans in hopes that they would buy it in the digital form and again when the album is released in stores. The Format also used this method under different circumstances with their record Dog Problems. This early leak might be the best move the band could have made, because there’s a good chance they just leaked the album of the year.

In Our Bedroom After the War is one of the most beautiful albums released in years. The musicianship on this album is unbelievable. Every single song is moving, and the lyrics are both inspirational and heartbreaking. The vocals, that move back and forth between male and female vocalists Tourquil Campbell and Amy Millan are memorizing. Where so much of the music that we listen to today feels disposable and lacks staying power, this is an album you know you could listen to years from now and feel the same emotions with each listen.

I’m going to avoid my typical song-by-song deconstruction of the record, because I would rather everyone give this album a chance and let each song mean something to you on a personal level. I can guarantee several of the songs such as “The Night Starts Here” and “Take Me to the Riot” will be stuck in your head for days, and I dare you to listen to “The Ghost of Genova Heights” and try to not dance along. And I believe it is impossible to listen to the heartbreaking “Personal” and not feel an unsatisfying feeling in the pit of your stomach. The song, about two strangers and their failed meeting, surprises you with an abrupt ending left open for interpretation.

I cannot rave enough about this album. I don’t believe in a 5 star rating system or scoring records on a scale of 1 to 10 because I feel an album is more than a score or grade. However, if I scored this record, it would be 5 stars and a 10 out of 10. If you are a fan of Death Cab for Cutie, Regina Spektor, Damien Rice, Feist, or any other indie group or artist, I guarantee you will fall in love with Stars. In Our Bedroom After the War will be available in stores September 25th.

• Official Site: http://www.arts-crafts.ca/stars/
• Image Courtesy Of: http://www.arts-crafts.ca/index.php
• MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/stars