"I'm in love with Seanan McGuire again.
"First she seduced me with Stars Fall Home, which is a wonderful grab-bag of her songs. Then she tossed a bit of flirtation at me when my love was fading to a comfortable love with the test-track of 'Wicked Girls.' Now she's bent me over the table and made me beg for more with Red Roses and Dead Things. ... Songs vary from quite fun ('The Black Death,' 'Oh, Michelle') to quite creepy ('Dear Gina,' 'Darkness Falls') to knock-you-off-your-feet ('You Get the Tickets,' 'What a Woman's For') and everywhere in between." -- Becky H.
"This is very nearly the CD of my dreams. The tracks range from light-hearted mad science fun to dark and creepy. The recording job on this CD, just like the other ones, has been fantastic. All the musicians do wonderfully to set the mood for each song. I have a few personal favorites ... but generally this CD? Is the best CD about mad science and horror ever." -- Tric.
"This album is an exploration of mad science, romance and horror, both real and fictional. From rockers like the (totally!) NC-17 rated 'You Get The Tickets' and 'Maybe It's Crazy' to the Schoolhouse Rock-style tune 'The Black Death' ... and 'Another Mad Science Love Song,' a duet with Filk Hall o' Famer Tom Smith, Red Roses and Dead Things delivers. Every song simply shines with Seanan's love of mad science (or is that MAD SCIENCE!), mind-blasting horror, and sweet sweet romance. Red Roses and Dead Things definitely puts the "romance" back in Necromancy!" -- Rich O.
"Anyway, this is a CD of nods to and outright seductions of people who love mad science and horror films. There is no song on this entire CD that I skip, and I feel very attached to this CD already, because of how well it represents me and my love of horror and mad science (or as someone else pointed out, MAD SCIENCE!) Seanan McGuire is, in my opinion, one of the best songwriters I know of. The lyrics of her songs draw me in and then trap me so I can never leave. Each album keeps getting better and better, in terms of quality across the board." -- Tric.
"Seanan's strongest musical virtue is her lyrics. Poetic, playful, sensual, evocative and at times downright randy -- Seanan's lyrics are, to paraphrase the words of another friend about cooking, an alchemy of phrase, word and rhyme." -- Rich O.
"Those who've followed my book-reviewing career will know that I don't often apply unreserved superlatives. I am going to apply one now: Seanan McGuire is the single most amazingly skilled songwriter I have ever encountered, and a first-rate singer into the bargain. If you are even remotely a fan of folk, folk-rock, or good female singers in general, then you want Stars Fall Home. If you know a radio DJ whose playlist isn't corporate-controlled, that DJ needs a copy. Forget American Idol, ignore America's Got Talent, don't bother with Rock Star: [insert group here]. This is as good as it gets." -- djonn.
"With its eminently catchy tunes that will burrow themselves in your brain like a creature from a horror movie, and lyrics that are morbid, hilarious, and beautifully haunting by turn and all at once, this beautifully crafted album has made its way into my most-played list where it clearly intends to make a last stand with sawed-off shotguns and chainsaws and trebuchets." -- Lisa E.
"What is most striking about Stars Fall Home is the sheer breadth of style. 'Four-Color Love' is a torch song about comic books; 'Pretty Little Dead Girl' wouldn't be out of place in a sock hop (or even better, a movie about them); 'Paper Moon' is a better country song than most modern country artists are coming up with; 'Evil Laugh' is like a less mellow surf rock. McGuire has a voice suited for any number of different songwriting styles, and that's her real gift -- her versatility is a real treat for the listener." -- Shawn C.
"I should note here that this album sets a very high standard for independently produced material. Seanan does all her own lead vocals; backing vocals, a host of fine instrumental work, and studio engineering is handled by a large pool of talented musicians spanning two continents. There's also a fully professional illustrated lyric booklet; this is an album that delivers its money's worth and then some." -- djonn.
"I've known Seanan more than half of my life, and it has delighted me to see someone who so greatly deserves success grow from an awkward, eccentric, but talented teenager to someone who has accomplished so much. Seanan rocks, and living well is truly the best revenge. She's always had more than her share of creativity and vocal talent, but practice and experience have given her work a depth and polish that astounds me." -- Michelle M.
"Stars Fall Home is the only CD I keep at work (the songs are, of course, safely ripped onto my iPod so I can have them wherever). It's the only album I own that I can listen to compulsively for an entire workday no matter what mood I'm in, and has successfully prevented me from raining down WRATH on my coworkers several times now. ('Evil Laugh' is especially good for this)." -- Olna Jenn.
"After playing it three times through, I have to say that my favorite filk album so far this year is Seanan's Stars Fall Home. The arrangements, the vocals, the melodies, and the mix of humor and drama make for a thoroughly listenable experience, one that's actually gotten better each time through. And this despite the fact that my tastes in material run more to science fiction than to fantasy. Strongly Recommended." -- Mark B.
"It was much better than Cats. I'm going to buy it, again and again." -- Jessica C.
"If you got the feeling that I love this album, you'd be right. This is an album I can have on repeat and never mind. I sing along. I dance. I cry. I melt. And then I do it all again. So come, follow me down, it's a lovely place to get lost." -- Rebecca N.
"The only bad thing I can say about this album is that I can't listen to it while I need to be focusing on something else - the music, it eats my brain. (I have the same problem with Pretty Little Dead Girl.) The entire album is well-written, well-sung, and well-produced. The tracks are presented in perfect order, and they gel into the kind of cohesive album that is rare in today's mp3-centric world." -- F.B.
"Overall, the whole album is made of win. Good thing you can't wear out CDs easily." -- Elishabet.
"I just wanted to let you know that it's a wonderful album that I can listen to over and over and it never gets less wonderful." -- Steffi.
"If you didn't know ahead of time that this was a filk CD -- specifically, a live album recorded at 2005's Ohio Valley FilkFest -- you might very well go looking for it in the country-folk-rock section of your local music retailer, next to the Reba McIntyre discs. The vocals are polished, the tunes are wistful and hopeful and sad in all the right proportions, and while you might be a little startled at the number of fairy-tale metaphors, there are also rivers and wildwoods and small-town diners right out of the country-music artistic palette." -- djonn.
"I have listened to it many, many times now." -- soundingsea.
"It should be noted that this is emphatically not just a girl-and-guitar disc; one of its strongest features, in fact, is the layered intricacy of the material. 'Fly Little Bird' and 'Pretty Little Dead Girl' in particular have gorgeous harmonies going on, and 'Sycamore Tree''s multiple voices weave in and out and over each other to superb effect. This is all the more remarkable in an independent-release live album, and a debut album at that. There's no better lyricist working anywhere in (or out of) filkdom, and the performances are uniformly excellent." -- djonn.
"THE. BEST. THING. EVER." -- Rae H.
"It's brilliant. And I'm not just saying that because I love Seanan far beyond reason." -- Rob W.
"Wow....wotta set of pipes! Love it, needed it...going to take it camping and have a bajillion people listen to it!" -- bacondiva.
"Pretty Little Dead Girl will always be on my personal playlist. Every single song on it speaks to something in my mental landscape, and I can get lost in it for hours. Besides, the studio recording is nice, but if you love 'Pretty Little Dead Girl' you just have to have the live version. It's a requirement." -- Olna Jenn.
"Seanan's music speaks to me in a way that few other artists ever have. This eleven song CD has been my constant companion. In fact, when I thought I had misplaced it, I cried and was about to go order another when I thought of one final place it might be. There was joyous dancing upon our reunion. I think even the CD was happy. I know my son was, as "Fly Little Bird" is one of his favorite songs." -- A. Bob.
"I have to admit that I'm not usually a huge fan of live performances, but this CD does not suffer from the same problems that other live CDs have. The recordings are very nice and clear. I don't hear as much background noise (which is usually my biggest complaint, as I order a CD to hear the music, not to hear the crowd), and just nicely balanced in all. A wonderful set of songs, going from serious and slow to rock and roll fun. The lyrics are probably some of the best I've heard in awhile, in the fact they are engaging and more than.. well. Let's just say it's nice to hear something other than "oooo-oooo, loooove huuuuurtssss"." -- Tric.