So I'm listening to classic songs from the Stills debut, wondering to myself, has it really been more than two years since their last album? These guys are notorious plodders when it comes to releasing new music, so I did what I'm sure many people do (or maybe not?) and googled when their next album would be coming out. While I've struggled to find that info, I did find a decidedly tasty morsel of info from aux.tv :
"In 2005, guitarist Greg Paquet left the band to finish school, bringing Hamelin from the drums to the front, a position which he struggled to fill on Without Feathers, notwithstanding his role as the band’s primary songwriter. Paquet has returned to The Stills for their fourth album. Hamelin describes the reunion as a natural one, based more on their friendship than anything else."
This is exciting stuff. After the bitter disappointment of Without Feathers, I put the blame squarely on Greg Paquet’s shoulders. I consoled myself with the conjured belief that if Greg Paquet never left the band, the Stills would still have the magic. Well Greg, here is your chance to prove it—to me. Time to atone for the band releasing Without Feathers, make it up to Stills fans across the globe who hoped and waited for a follow up to Logic only to be rewarded with an album worthy of Frisbee-ing out of your car window.
Now I do have to say thank you, and well done to the Stills for their third LP, 2008’s Ocean’s Will Rise. Quality album that gets better with every play. However, Stills, you made us wait five years to get a decent follow up to your debut. Now that everyone’s favorite guitarist, Greg, is back hopefully you guys can expedite the process.
This unfortunately does not look to be the case. Instead, the Stills are changing up their sound to “sex and dark.” Whatever that is, as long as Greg Paquet’s on guitar, it doesn’t matter. Seriously though, here is what chief songwriter Dave Hamelin had to say about the new direction of the Stills sound with Greg Paquet back on guitar:
“Now that he’s back, I’m playing drums again… It’s a little looser. We got a looser, “slivlier” kinda, it’s less rock n’ roll, it’s more like sludgy & dark, – sex and dark.”
