The U.S. government might want to ban Stars’ third album, “Set Yourself on Fire.” The record could cause mass migration to Canada.

Actually, scratch that. Be wary when the Bush administration uses the Canadian band to lure leftists north, leaving a completely red country.

Stars make a good case for Canada.

First, on the technical side, the band thanks “the financial support of the government of Canada through the Canada music fund.” It makes the north sound like a utopia for musicians, artists and art-lovers.

More importantly, “Set Yourself on Fire” is a finely crafted pop album that makes the world sound lovely, even when the band hates on the president.

The album begins with the track “Your Ex-Lover is Dead.” The song is about an uncomfortable moment, when you see a former one-night fling and can’t remember his or her name. Torquil Campbell sighs as he sings of what might have been.

Stars always refrain from typical love songs, mostly because of the trade of vocals between Campbell and Amy Millan. The boy-girl trade-off gives the album a well-rounded perspective, instead of blaming the opposite sex, like most pop love songs. How Canadian!

Later in the album, Stars attack President George W. Bush. On “Celebration Guns,” the band sings, “How will you know your enemy/ by the colour of your fear/ one by one you cage them/ in your freedom/ make them all disappear.”

These angry and passionate lyrics are soothed by Millan and Campbell’s lush and gentle harmonies.

While the album begins with death, the last song, “Calendar Girl,” finishes with Millan crying, “I’m alive.”

Stars sing of the harsh realities of love and politics; yet, at the same time, they show there is still beauty to be found.