The Canadian indie pop band Stars recently released a fresh cacophony of sounds on its fourth full-length album In Our Bedroom After the War Originally released to iTunes a full two months ahead of its anticipated release date (Sept. 26), Stars blends its signature electronica with a different, mellower plethora of percussion and subtle vocals. Missing from this compilation, however, is the energy and zest that is so refreshing and characteristic of this poppy quintet. Instead, we are faced with a melodramatic conception of strife and war. The album begins with a calm instrumental titled "The Beginning After the End" that initially engages the listener with its profound and curious thumping bass, and then gradually lulls him or her to sleep. Unfortunately, it doesn't get much better. "The Ghost of Genova Heights" starts off with a simple beat that'll make you bob your head in response, but soon turns eerily late-era Michael Jackson. The high-pitched sounds of vocalist Torquill Campbell overwhelm the rest of the song. "Barricade" has a soulful, disheartened melody to it that is strangely suggestive of James Blunt. The gentle lullaby of the piano, combined with the too earnest rise and fall of Campbell's hearty voice, is enough to make the listener seriously question the song's inspiration. Highlights include track two, "The Night Starts Here," and track nine, "Window Bird." "Window Bird" is reminiscent of Stars' previous album Set Yourself on Fire, with its more upbeat tempo and fast-paced collapse into dissonance that is interestingly messy for a pop tune. "The Night Starts Here" is a beautiful, buoyant ballad that speaks of nostalgia and grandeur. "Today Will Be Better, I Swear!" is an almost six-minute song that wisely features vocalist and guitarist Amy Millan. Her husky, solid voice sounds gorgeous in contrast with the mellow beat and occasional bell-like interludes that rise and fall throughout the song. But a number of tracks, such as "Personal," "Take Me to the Riot," and "Midnight Coward" are simply uninteresting and don't offer anything magical or meaty. The album ends with the epic album's namesake, "In Our Bedroom After the War." Its gradual ascension and continual overlay of melodies is a bit overboard, but it successfully achieves the effect of a grand conclusion. But lyrics like "All the living are dead, and the dead are all living/ The war is over and we are beginning…" color the theme in black-and-white crayon. Overall, I could use much less of Torquill Campbell and more of Amy Millan. Their voices in the right balance add texture and a genuine complexity that few bands can parallel. Unfortunately, In Our Bedroom After the War was simply less engaging than previous efforts. If Stars wants to transcend its indie pop universe, it'll have to look beyond easy truisms of life and death. 2 stars out of 5