[the-star-samurai]

After first listen:

Bird 1 - 5/5 - I fell hard for "Strumpet" this past summer and then this seems like a great logical step from there. Needless to say, I can't wait to drive to this song in the morning. ♥
Always Loved A Film - 4/5 - I just listened to the single for this song after listening to the radio rip tons of times to get over the Silver Boots version. And I am loving this version more with each listen - the high energy, the guitar breakdown, and just - singing along to it and FEELING the energy itself. It just FEELS good.
Scribble - 4/5 - I've been listening to this since like...I think June? So I'm kind of just avoiding it like I did with "Crocodile" when Oblivion With Bells released. But I still love it. I am incredibly biased since I love liquid funk, Hospital Records, and High Contrast. Plus those Underworld elements of voice sampling and Karl's singing. How can I possibly NOT like this song?
Hamburg Hotel - 2/5 - This needs to grow on me - because to be honest, I don't remember what it sounds like right now. And I was looking forward to this song - so I am slightly disappointed with it.
Grace - 3/5 - Love~~~ I haven't listened to "Telematic Peel" that much anyway (I was more enamored by "Jumping Then Cran", sorry guys.) But if I can sing along to it, then it's a great thing. A song for the ladies? Well I'm a lady and...it's cool with me.
Between Stars - 5/5 - Fuck yes.
Diamond Jigsaw - 5/5 - As a long-time PvD listener, I did hear a few elements of his style. But nothing overbearing - which is a huge plus. Plus with the guitar portions and how they were placed - amazing.
Moon In Water - 3/5 - I need more listens of this - it's pretty chill and of course, voice sample is a huge plus. I'm sure with more listens I will fall hard for this song.
Louisiana - 10/5 - I am horribly horribly horribly biased when it comes to this song. Ever since "Jumping Then Cran" aired on one of the webcasts, I fell HARD in LOVE with it and hoped and hoped and hoped for a proper quality version of it to surface. So when I heard it became "Louisiana" for Barking, I thanked Underworld from the bottom of my heart. I'd repeat the hell out of "Jumping then Cran" and sing along and just FEEL the emotion. (I also drew sketches and pictures with the lyrics - I memorized the hell out of those lyrics!)
I can see how it doesn't fit on this album. But I don't give a shit - it's 3 minutes longer, and the new elements don't really overwhelm the original aspects of the song. I nearly cried listening and singing along to it the first play through.
Simple Peel - 5/5 - Always loved this song. So whatever - automatic 5/5. I don't care if it's a bonus track, it is awesome.

So yeah. I really really like this album. Out of 10, I'd give it an 8. It proved again to me that "Hell yes, Underworld can never disappoint me. NEVER".

Underworld continues to make it difficult to rate their albums in order of how much I love them. Oblivion with Bells did help me through a week of pneumonia in October 2007. (Literally the week I received my copy of the limited edition preorder, I had to go to the hospital.) So I have a huge personal connection with that album that cannot be broken.