I love this CD, my favorite of the last six months or so. There are so many different grooves here, from rock to Motown, but it all hangs together as a set, and every song has some special touch to make it notable. It grabbed me from the first moment and it hasn't let up. Outstanding, unique, special. This is why I work to find new music, the chance of finding something so good it hurts, at least to my ears.Favorite parts abound. Start with the wonderfully twisted lyrics on "Barricade", which I walk around the halls of my office singing . . . "ooh, how can anyone, not love the terrible things you do . . ." That song has to rank as one of the highlights of my decade so far, the melody, the phrasing, the performance, remarkable.Then I suppose right into "Night", which ends with a multiple harmony of voices and a high bass line that represents what indie rock is all about at it's absolute best.Do I even need to mention "Genova Heights"? The Jackson's would have killed for that chorus line some 30 years ago, it's darn near perfect.I love not only the story of "Personal" but especially the breathy back and forth vocals over the ponderous piano line, it's a gorgeous effect, the little ticks of the cymbal brushes at the end . . . these guys are so good.Can they rock on out? You bet they can, just let them take you to the "Riot", a classic rock anthem with no rough edges and plenty of bright touches.The ultra clever "Life" finishes out the core of this CD, the remaining songs (with the exception of the title maybe) one must admit are not as strong, though pleasant enough to tie things together. Mind you, if this was an EP composed of only the songs I haven't mentioned, it would still be very fine, and if it turns out one of them is someone else's favorite, I could easily understand.Okay, maybe not every song is a home run, it's not their "Disintegration". That's good and bad, it means possibly they have something left in the tank, some hope for more . . . ecstasy. You know what scares me though? That I'll pick up the next Stars CD and it will blow, or at least underwhelm. There's certainly no guarantees, I find their back catalog doesn't hold a candle to this sophistication, not even close. So unless they've reached and can hold a higher plateau . . . well, let's not forget "Wild Mood Swings" was only two albums removed from the holy grail.So this could turn out to be their high point, or possibly they all break up and form their own bands before they deliver. What if Robert Smith had really hung it up after "Kiss Me" and gone off to score movies or something? I lose sleep over thoughts like that, pain goes along with the possibility of greatness, the risk of loss.