Set Yourself on Fire
Studio album by
Stars
ReleasedSeptember 14, 2004
Recorded2003–2004
GenreIndie pop,[1] chamber pop, electronic[2]
Length53:07
LabelArts & Crafts
ProducerStars, Tom McFall
Stars chronology
Heart
(2003)		 Set Yourself on Fire
(2004)		 Do You Trust Your Friends?
(2007)
Alternative cover
Cover of European and vinyl editions

Set Yourself on Fire is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Stars. It was released on September 14, 2004 on the Arts & Crafts International record label in Canada and the United Kingdom, and on March 8, 2005 in the United States.

The album's most notable single was "Ageless Beauty", the band's breakthrough hit in Canada. "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" has also garnered significant play in the United States. It was featured on the soundtrack of The O.C.

On November 17, 2009, "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" was featured on Fox network's So You Think You Can Dance, season 6. Former show contestant and current choreographer Travis Wall chose it as the track for his piece danced by Ellenore Scott and Ryan Di Lello.

In 2005 Set Yourself on Fire was a Juno Award nominee for Alternative Album of the Year.[3] It lost to the album Let It Die by Feist, who is an occasional bandmate of Stars' Amy Millan, Torquil Campbell, and Evan Cranley in the indie rock band Broken Social Scene.

The novelist Ibi Kaslik is quoted on the jacket of the album. The album features string arrangements from Bulgarian composer Todor Kobakov.

Cover art

The cover art varies from North America to Europe. The Canadian and U.S. releases have the same artwork. The European edition, along with the Canadian and U.S. vinyl version, have alternative cover art.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Blender[5]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[6]
The Guardian[7]
The Irish Times[8]
NME8/10[9]
Pitchfork8.4/10[10]
Q[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
SpinA−[13]

Set Yourself on Fire was widely acclaimed by music critics and holds a score of 81 out of 100 on the online review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[4]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"4:16
2."Set Yourself on Fire"5:39
3."Ageless Beauty"4:05
4."Reunion"3:41
5."The Big Fight"5:22
6."What I'm Trying to Say"3:22
7."One More Night (Your Ex-Lover Remains Dead)"5:18
8."Sleep Tonight"4:21
9."The First Five Times"3:00
10."He Lied About Death"5:12
11."Celebration Guns"3:05
12."Soft Revolution"3:16
13."Calendar Girl"4:07

Certifications

Country Certification Sales/shipments
Canada Gold[14] 50,000

References

  1. 1 2 Loftus, Johnny. "Set Yourself on Fire – Stars". AllMusic. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  2. ↑ Ubl, Sam (July 18, 2004). "Set Yourself on Fire Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  3. ↑ "2005 Juno Awards Nominees Announced" Soulshine. Published February 8, 2005.
  4. 1 2 "Reviews for Set Yourself On Fire by Stars". Metacritic. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". Blender (35): 125. April 2005.
  6. ↑ Raftery, Brian M. (March 7, 2005). "Set Yourself on Fire". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  7. ↑ Clarke, Betty (August 12, 2005). "Stars, Set Yourself on Fire". The Guardian. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  8. ↑ Carroll, Jim (July 22, 2005). "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire (Arts & Crafts/City Slang)". The Irish Times. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". NME: 58. August 13, 2005.
  10. ↑ Ubl, Sam (July 18, 2004). "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". Q (230): 118. September 2005.
  12. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (February 24, 2005). "Stars: Set Yourself On Fire". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  13. ↑ Maerz, Melissa (March 2005). "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". Spin. 21 (3): 91. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  14. ↑ CRIA Gold & Platinum certifications for December 2006. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
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