Stars is one of those bands I've always kind of liked. I loved their third album and especially the song " You're Ex-Lover is Dead," but the rest of their albums have failed to resonate with me. There are a few songs I like, but I can't listen to a whole album from start to finish before boredom sets in. 
That's not the case with their latest album The North. Not only is it my favorite Stars album, but one of my favorite albums of the year.
It has what you're looking for in a Stars album (dueling male and female vocals, love songs) but for some reason this album (from start to finish) has a feel that their last few albums lacked.
The sound for one is much different than previous albums. The combination of synthesizers and big guitars make North seem like a low profile Canadian version of a Killers album.
Even with a bigger sound they keep the emotion in their lyrics and vocals. The trade off from male to female vocals on the songs are sang beautifully and keep you interested through the entire album.
Key tracks are: The North (title track), Lights are Changing Color, & The 400.