Set Yourself on Fire

Set Yourself on Fire
Studio album by Stars
Released	September 14, 2004
Recorded	2003–2004
Genre	Indie pop,[1] chamber pop
Length	53:07
Label	Arts & Crafts
Producer	Stars, Tom McFall
Stars chronology
Heart (2003) Set Yourself on Fire (2004) Do You Trust Your Friends? (2007)
Alternative cover
Cover of European and vinyl editions

Set Yourself on Fire is the third album by Canadian indie rock band Stars. It was released on September 14, 2004 on the Arts & Crafts International record label in Canada and the United Kingdom, and on March 8, 2005 in the United States.

The album's most notable single was "Ageless Beauty", the band's breakthrough hit in Canada. "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" has also garnered significant play in the United States. It was featured on the soundtrack of The O.C.

On November 17, 2009, "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" was featured on Fox network's So You Think You Can Dance, season 6. Former show contestant and current choreographer Travis Wall chose it as the track for his piece danced by Ellenore Scott and Ryan Di Lello.

In 2005 Set Yourself on Fire was a Juno Award nominee for Alternative Album of the Year.^[2] It lost to the album Let It Die by Feist, who is an occasional band-mate of Stars' Amy Millan, Torquil Campbell, and Evan Cranley in the indie rock band Broken Social Scene.

The novelist Ibi Kaslik is quoted on the jacket of the album.

Cover art

The cover art varies from North America to Europe. The Canadian and U.S. releases have the same artwork. The European edition, along with the Canadian and U.S. vinyl version, have alternative cover art.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Blender	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[5]
The Guardian	[6]
NME	8/10[7]
Pitchfork Media	8.4/10[8]
Q	[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Slant Magazine	[11]
Spin	A–[12]

Set Yourself on Fire was widely acclaimed by music critics and holds a score of 81 out of 100 on the online review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".^[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"	4:16
2.	"Set Yourself on Fire"	5:39
3.	"Ageless Beauty"	4:05
4.	"Reunion"	3:41
5.	"The Big Fight"	5:22
6.	"What I'm Trying to Say"	3:22
7.	"One More Night (Your Ex-Lover Remains Dead)"	5:18
8.	"Sleep Tonight"	2:44
9.	"The First Five Times"	3:00
10.	"He Lied About Death"	5:12
11.	"Celebration Guns"	3:05
12.	"Soft Revolution"	3:16
13.	"Calendar Girl"	4:07

Certifications

Country	Certification	Sales/shipments
Canada	Gold[13]	50,000

References

1. Loftus, Johnny. "Set Yourself on Fire – Stars". AllMusic. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
2. "2005 Juno Awards Nominees Announced" Soulshine. Published February 8, 2005.
3. "Reviews for Set Yourself On Fire by Stars". Metacritic. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
4. "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". Blender (35): 125. April 2005.
5. Raftery, Brian M. (March 7, 2005). "Set Yourself on Fire". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
6. Clarke, Betty (August 12, 2005). "Stars, Set Yourself on Fire". The Guardian. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
7. "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". NME: 58. August 13, 2005.
8. Ubl, Sam (July 18, 2004). "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
9. "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". Q (230): 118. September 2005.
10. Sheffield, Rob (February 24, 2005). "Stars: Set Yourself On Fire". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
11. Cinquemani, Sal (March 19, 2005). "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
12. Maerz, Melissa (March 2005). "Stars: Set Yourself on Fire". Spin 21 (3): 91. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
13. CRIA Gold & Platinum certifications for December 2006. Retrieved July 25, 2007.