Against the Stars
{{Infobox album
| name = Against the Stars
| type = Studio
| artist = The Dambuilders
| cover = Against the Stars.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1997|07|29}}
| recorded = Kevin March's basement
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Indie rock
| length = {{duration|m=45|s=47}}
| producer = Eric Masunaga
| prev_title = Ruby Red
| prev_year = 1995
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
Against the Stars is the sixth and final studio album by Boston-based indie rock band the Dambuilders,{{cite news |last1=Underwood |first1=Bob |title=Recordings In Brief |work=Dayton Daily News |date=21 November 1997}} and their third for a major label.{{Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/against-the-stars-mw0000025330 |title=The Dambuilders - Against the Stars |last=Griffith |first=JT |website=AllMusic |language=en-us |access-date=15 February 2019}} It was released on July 29, 1997 on East West and Elektra Records.{{cite magazine |last1=Reece |first1=Doug |title=Popular Uprisings |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6wkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT27 |accessdate=15 February 2019 |magazine=Billboard |date=11 October 1997 |page=26 |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Schulps |first1=Dave |title=Dambuilders |url=http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=dambuilders |website=Trouser Press |accessdate=15 February 2019 |date=2007}}
Background and recording
Against the Stars was recorded in the basement of the Dambuilders' drummer, Kevin March, and produced by the band's guitarist, Eric Masunaga.{{cite news |last1=Sullivan |first1=Jim |title=Dambuilders delve into their playful side |work=The Boston Globe |date=15 August 1997}}
Release and promotion
Against the Stars was released on July 29, 1997 on both East West and Elektra Records. The album's first single was "Burn this Bridge". The song "Break Up With Your Boyfriend" was released as another single from the album on October 27, 1997. To promote it, the band collected fans' stories of their worst breakups via their website.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
|rev1=AllMusic
|rev2=Chicago Tribune
|rev2Score={{rating|2.5|4}}{{cite news |last1=McKeough |first1=Kevin |title=Dambuilders Against the Stars (East West) |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-08-22-9708220408-story.html |accessdate=15 February 2019 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=22 August 1997}}
|rev3=Dayton Daily News
|rev4=The Montreal Gazette
|rev4Score=5/10{{cite news |last1=Lepage |first1=Mark |title=Neko Case has the credentials for country |work=Montreal Gazette |date=16 August 1997}}
}}
JT Griffith of AllMusic compared Against the Stars to the Dambuilders' previous albums, writing, "If Encendedor and Ruby Red were more akin to Sub Pop records, then Against the Stars is closer to Cheap Trick arena rock." Jim Sullivan of the Boston Globe was highly favorable in his assessment of the album, writing, "The 13 tracks show a mix of pop-craft smarts and art-rock leanings. There's variety and wit, bracing guitar and violin parts, and a keen sense of melody that is consistent throughout." Writing in the Hartford Courant, Roberto Gonzalez praised both the album and the band as a whole: "Intelligent, well-crafted and intense, Boston's Dambuilders create a swirling sound of violin and electric guitar, wrapped around a tight rhythm section. While their last album, "Ruby Red," was all prickly pop, their new effort displays their true influences."{{cite news |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Roberto |title=Against the Stars -- The Dambuilders |url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1997-10-02-9710030855-story.html |accessdate=15 February 2019 |work=The Hartford Courant |date=2 October 1997}} Mark Lepage of the Montreal Gazette was less favorable in his review. He gave the album a rating of 5 out of 10, quipping, "Decades of technological progress, and we get a new Missing Persons with Howard Jones fronting."
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline =
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| total_length = 45:47
| all_writing = The Dambuilders
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| title1 = Digitize
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| length1 = 1:40
| title2 = Break Up With Your Boyfriend
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| length2 = 2:34
| title3 = Burn This Bridge
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| length3 = 3:19
| title4 = Herstory
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| length4 = 3:55
| title5 = You Might Want Me Around
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| title6 = You'll Never Know
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| length6 = 3:54
| title7 = Itch It
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| length7 = 2:25
| title8 = Discopolis
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| length8 = 4:02
| title9 = Luster
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| title10 = I Was Wrong
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| title11 = On The Slide
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| length11 = 2:48
| title12 = Seek And Destroy
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| length12 = 3:24
| title13 = Wished On The Wrong Star
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| length13 = 6:24
}}