I love making musical discoveries. Back in 2001, I attended a live show of the seminal indie rock geezers Sloan and came across the opening band, The Dears. Though I was delayed, I arrived just in time for The Dears to start their opening show. For the following thirty minutes, I was blown away by the sextet's apocalyptic stage presence. Somehow, all six individuals played simultaneously and created a fascinating mix of catastrophic sad ballads and high-energy brit pop deception. After the show, I quickly ran to get my copy of their 2000 release End of a Hollywood Bedtime Story and their 2001 EP Orchestral Pop Noir Romantique, and I was not disappointed. Both releases lived up to the expectation that I had after seeing them live.
After a tough year, The Dears are back in 2003 with the release of No Cities Left. A few line-up changes have occurred, but the Montreal sextet, led by vocalist Murray A. Lightburn, have created the most beautiful brit pop album to never come out of Britain. Taking notes from such prolific artist as Damon Albarn, Lightburn has elevated his vocal delivery and has added some needed octaves to his range to make him one of pops most distinct songsters. Don't get fooled by the Hootie and the Blowfish comparisons, Lightburn can sing a prettier song than our fellow lead singer of Blur. "Lost in the Plot" shows his performing ability with such lines as "Oh I promised not to cry" followed with oohs, ahs and lalas only reminiscent of Morrissey throughout his career.
As time goes by, the sound and musical approach of The Dears has become more impressive as well. One listen to No Cities Left will demonstrate that the band has spent a lot of time crafting their songs. Adding cello, synthesizers, trumpet, and backing vocals has created a remarkable reverberation suggestive of a soundtrack for very distressed personalities. Heartbreaking guitar blues accompanied with pulsating drum thumping followed by slow tempo piano and acoustics while Lightburn wails "stop telling me, I don't want to know" shows the tremendous emotion conjured during the recording sessions. These sentiments are evident throughout the album especially on "Never Destroy Us," the best track of the entire record.
With brit pop in a funk, The Dears have a great chance of emerging from the shadows and become an elite indie pop band. Sad music has never sounded so uplifting. Let's hope that they get enough exposure to carry them to the top.
1. We can have it
2. Who are you, defenders of the universe?
3. Lost in the Plot
4. The second part
5. Don't lose the faith
6. Expect the worse/'cos she's a tourist
7. Pinned together/falling apart
8. Never destroy us
9. Warm and sunny days
10. The death of all the romance
11. Postcard from purgatory
12. No cities left
More about: The Dears
