Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline

Infobox Album |
Name = Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline
Type = Album
Artist = Stars of the Lid


Released = April 7, 2007
Recorded =
Genre = Ambient, Drone
Length = 120:32
Label = Kranky
Producer =
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fpfoxzl5ldae link]
*musicOMH.com Rating|5|5 [http://www.musicomh.com/albums/stars-of-the-lid_0407.htm link]
* Pitchfork Media (8.6/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/42058-and-their-refinement-of-the-decline link]
*PopMatters (9/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/31287/stars-of-the-lid-and-their-refinement-of-the-decline link]
*Soundsect.com Rating|3.5|5 [http://soundsect.com/review/126.html link]
*The Silent Ballet (8/10) [http://www.thesilentballet.com/dnn/Reviews/2007/May/tabid/108/ctl/Details/mid/496/ItemID/476/Default.aspx link]
* Tiny Mix Tapes Rating|5|5 [http://tinymixtapes.com/Stars-of-the-Lid link]

|
Last album = "The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid"
(2001)
This album = "Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline"
(2007)
Next album =

"Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline" is the seventh studio LP by Stars of the Lid, which was released on the Kranky Label in April 2007. The album features minimal, droning compositions of varied length created from treated guitar, horn, piano, and other classical instruments. The track "Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottage" refers to Craven Cottage in London, the home stadium of English soccer team, Fulham F.C.. At the time of the album's release, their captain was ex-United States soccer international Brian McBride, who shares the same name as Brian McBride from Stars of the Lid. The track "Don't Bother They're Here" uses the melody of Stephen Sondheim's 1973 song "Send In The Clowns".

Critical Reaction

The album was generally received well by critics. Thom Jurek, writing for Allmusic, stated: cquote|Everything here is rounded. There are no edges on either disc, it's all fuzzy and yet brilliant to hear at the same time. It's music of such quiet and devastating power it can silence a room in five minutes without the volume knob on the stereo being manipulated. There are detractors — or better yet, cynics — who wonder why, and how, music like this, music that simply is, that evolves and returns to silence over and over again, is even necessary. The answer is simple: because the sound on 'And Their Refinement of the Decline' is the sound of everything already after it has fallen apart. It is not a sound that dares to rebuild anything, speak anything, or declare anything. It simply wants to document what happens when it all goes to hell, and in that space, that quiet space, Stars of the Lid emerges with a sound that is as hopeful as it is funereal. It is simply the sound of "is-ness," something that becomes nothing, only to become something again. And Their Refinement of the Decline is deeply moving. It's an awesome thing, this album, and anyone, virtually anyone who encounters it will be in some way moved by the impure music it contains.

Track listing

Disc one

# "Dungtitled (In A Major)" – 5:54
# "Articulate Silences Part 1" – 5:24
# "Articulate Silences Part 2" – 5:37
# "The Evil That Never Arrived" – 5:05
# "Apreludes (In C Sharp Major)" – 3:44 ( [http://brainwashed.com/common/sounds/mp3/stars_of_the_lid-apreludes_in_c_sharp_major.mp3 download] )
# "Don't Bother They're Here" – 10:10
# "Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottage" – 5:55
# "Even If You're Never Awake (Deuxième)" – 9:20
# "Even (Out) +" – 4:51
# "A Meaningful Moment Through a Meaning(less) Process" – 4:32

Disc two

# "Another Ballad for Heavy Lids" – 4:32
# "The Daughters of Quiet Minds" – 13:21
# "Hiberner Toujours" – 1:49
# "That Finger on Your Temple Is the Barrel of My Raygun" – 5:04
# "Humectez La Mouture" – 5:31
# "Tippy's Demise" – 8:18
# "The Mouthchew" – 3:40
# "December Hunting for Vegetarian Fuckface" – 17:45