If Interpol is going to be forever compared to Joy Division, then The Stills are the new New Order. It's an unfair characterization, just as with Interpol, but at times on their debut, Logic Will Break Your Heart, you'd swear you'd stuck in Power, Corruption and Lies in your CD player. That's a good thing.
Because while not wholly uninfluenced by New Order and other "80s bands (Echo and the Bunnymen, among many), The Stills do a great job of sounding unique. Songs that seem upbeat still have charged, somewhat gloomy baselines that unite with lead singer Tim Fletcher's brooding voice to create some fairly textured music.
For a debut, the disc has a surprisingly consistent sound. Songs are unique, but belong to the same vocal, lyrical and melodic legacy the Stills have created. So while "Still in Love Song" might remind you of "Lips like Sugar," it's a single, a damn good one, that's owned very much by the Stills.
The Montreal outfit has released a strong, well-crafted debut, even if the press refuses to view them as anything more than another post-punk band with a "the" in their name. It will take an actual listen to understand they're more like "the" Smiths than "the" Strokes.
