I’m giving star-crossed more listens this week and remembering the good parts are really good. My issue with it is there are real moments of magic in songs like Camera Roll - but that song is an example of one that feels like a interlude/interstitial piece (I’m sure you get what I mean). As a full song I don’t like it, but the “chronological order, and nothing but torture”/“I don’t wanna see em but I can’t delete them” part is almost like it’s from a different song. It’s such a huge hook to me, in an a kind of ambling ambient track. Rambling but yeah. I don’t dislike the album, but it just feels a bit half baked at times. The theme was almost bigger than the music, for me.
Not super vibing with the new song so far. It’s fine, feels like an album track that I can’t imagine listening to much out of choice.
I think this is the biggest issue with that album. A lot of the songs feel a tad unfinished. That song isn't the only one that plays almost like an extended interlude. I remember feeling like something was wrong with my stream on my first listen to that album, because it was almost like the songs were getting cut short. I'm not sure having those songs be longer or more fleshed out would really help that album in the long run -- some of the songs ("Angel," "If This Was a Movie") are just snoozers and definitely don't need to stick around longer. But it did feel like a change from Golden Hour, where everything felt so perfectly well-rounded. For these reasons, I'm a little nervous to see all the short track lengths on the new one again, but we'll see what happens.
I love Star-crossed. Definitely didn’t have the oomph that golden hour did, but it’s still a solid album. Maybe could have trimmed a few songs here and there.
if i start a Change.Org petition to get @iCarly Rae Jepsen to put a space between the hyphen on the left side, will all of you sign it?
“cherry blossom”, “simple times”, and “justified” are good songs too. I maintain that the album’s not bad, it’s just not at the level of her previous three and expectations were through the roof. I could make a good eight song EP tracklist with like: 1. simple times 2. justified 3. cherry blossom 4. camera roll 5. easier said 6. hookup scene 7. keep lookin up 8. what doesn’t kill me
I think it's great. About on par with most of her albums for me honestly. I probably like it a little more than Same Trailer and a little less than Golden Hour. Pageant Material is still my favourite.
Are we ranking? Golden Hour Same Trailer, Different Park Pageant Material (A Very Kacey Christmas) Star-Crossed
I kind of feel bad about ranking Star-Crossed below the Christmas album, because all Christmas music eventually gets really annoying to me. There are some great, great holiday songs on that album, though.
I can’t stand the jazz flute in There Is a Light. All I can think of is Ron Burgundy ripping solos in the studio.
That's also all I can picture, but that actually makes me like the song more than I think I would otherwise. That said, the fact that the album ends with an extended jazz flute solo and then a really overblown cover of a Spanish folk song is pretty clear evidence that Kacey was totally high on her own supply while making that album.