Stars, the well-known Canadian band who have delighted the indie music scene with their modern synthpop love songs, are beginning to sound a bit old. Their newest album, The Five Ghosts, might as well be the phantom of their albums past. The melodies are recycled versions of their earlier work: “The Last Song Ever Written” sounds uncannily similar to “The Night Starts Here,” off Stars’ last release, In Our Bedroom After The War. Also, “Dead Hearts” utilizes an almost identical guitar line to “Ageless Beauty” of Set Yourself On Fire. For a band celebrating nearly two decades of music, The Five Ghosts is a disappointing addition to their collection.

Stars have always been known for their ability to elegantly wallow in their own misery. Vocalist-guitarist Amy Millan sings heartbreak as painfully and as beautifully as ever, which is one of the album’s few redeeming qualities. For the first time, Millan has a major role as a voice for Stars, which is all the better considering Torquil Campbell, the usual lead vocalist, was beginning to sound like an ’80s pop star past his prime but begging for a twenty-first century comeback. This is especially apparent in the chorus of “He Dreams He’s Awake,” where Campbell breathily croons over a synth bass line, “When will the night be gone/It won’t let me go.”

Although The Five Ghosts lacks the catchiness of Set Yourself On Fire, it does retain the melodramatic angst that has made Stars popular from the start: their lyrics are still poetic in retelling romantic letdowns. Overall, the album is a lapse in creativity by the band’s standards, and while the music stays true to the electro-pop that has kept Stars so accessible since their debut in 2001, The Five Ghosts will haunt the band for years to come.