Life In A Bubble Can Be Beautiful

Washington State’s Red Stars Theory create more intense, slow-burning emo-core on their first album for Touch & Go, Life In A Bubble Can Be Beautiful. However, added touches like the strings on “Parts Per Million” and a more melodic focus reveal artistic growth since debut, 1997′s But Sleep Came Slowly. Songs like “Boring Ghost” and “A Sailor’s Warning” blend chamber music, melancholy and a restrained lyrical stance into the group’s moody, mercurial style, making Life In A Bubble Can Be Beautiful Red Stars Theory’s finest work to date, and a haunting album on its own terms. – Heather Phares