Logic Will Break Your Heart

Album Review

On their debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart, the Stills are stubbornly unyielding when it comes to being put in the same class as the Walkmen, Interpol, and the like. The Stills aren't boastful in doing so, but they are indeed different and stylishly unlike their counterparts. The modern sound of Logic Will Break Your Heart is undoubtedly rooted in post-punk threads of the Cure and the Smiths, but the Stills create something that's partly glamorous and fully imaginative. One will notice that they're still a young band and bright-eyed in developing a sound that's magical and solid to them. Their Rememberese EP barely hinted at such, but the charm of songs such as "Lola Stars and Stripes" and "Changes Are No Good" indicates that the Stills are on to fully realizing what they're capable of. They flirt with a dark, art-pop design not unlike Interpol, but the Stills' approach is tangible. Singer/guitarist Tim Fletcher gives a warm, haunting delivery as the band molds a blackish romance throughout the dozen-track set. Guitarist Greg Paquet complements his passionate presentation with his strict, aggressive playing style, in turn manifesting the Stills' dreamy kind of rock & roll. From the shimmering synth beats of "Ready for It" to Dave Hamelin's surging percussion crash on "Animals and Insects," Logic Will Break Your Heart is posh enough to stand alone. The Stills were so intent in writing and recording a vibrant new sound and they succeeded. As songwriters, there's an innocence dancing with a bittersweet fantasy on Logic Will Break Your Heart. It's a fantastic pop record and, as much as some would like to disagree, these Canadians pulled off a sound that has nothing to do with New York City.