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The Dears
Now, please don't think poorly of me, but I'm going to recommend another one of those collective-type bands to you (c.f. Dogs Die in Hot Cars). They also happen to be part of the intensely eclectic and trendy Montreal "scene". And they're a bit grand and cinematic and melodramatic. And they're a retro-pastiche band. Sort of.
Here's the thing: I feel like The Dears are too often rather unfairly compared to the halcyon days of Britpop, ca. Pulp and Blur and Gene and Suede, with a dotted line that has them reporting directly to The Smiths. And yeah, sure, those influences are there -- especially on the band's earlier recordings. But on their new album, No Cities Left, The Dears seem to have something else on their minds too -- something bigger, something grander, maybe, than just reproducing your average retro-tinged Britpop song.
First off, The Dears are definitely not stuck in the 80s or 90s -- they're off the timeline somewhere, peering out with a periscope and snatching snippets of influence from the entirety of the 20th century, not just its ultimate and pentultimate decades. Secondly, remember: They're from Canada.
Now, don't start grousing about how now here's some other collective-type band from Canada that makes big, sweeping, musical gestures straight from the heart. The Dears bring more crunchy pop hooks than the Arcade Fire; they're a little more artsty-fartsy than Broken Social Scene and a little less dirty-minded than The Hidden Cameras.
In short, The Dears serve up a potent, heady musical melange: A passionate but bleak world view intersecting with off-kilter chamber pop. This is what happens when people who think too much make music. There's saxpohones, flute riffs, strings, xylophones, feedback, and screaming. Because of course these things all go together -- you knew that!
And, far from having your basic moody Britpop lyrics that are a photocopy of "I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour/but heaven knows I'm miserable now" -- not that there's anything wrong with that mind you -- The Dears seem obsessed with love, death, and destruction (in that order). This is music that isn't afraid of blood and heartbreak and revolution; this is music that isn't afraid to leave you without a neat and tidy ending.
The Dears - Lost in the Plot
The Dears - 22: The Death of All the Romance
The Dears - No Return
The Dears - Heartless Romantic
The Dears' official website has links to sites with more sample tracks. Buy their lastest album, No Cities Left from Amazon.
Posted by Little Miss Rock'n'Roll at 02.12.05 at 1:01 AM
Comments
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theend
Posted by: nick at 02.12.05 at 3:20 AM
i refuse to listen to dogs die in hot cars due to the stupidity of their name (kind of like carissa's wierd).
"lost in the plot" is a great song.
Posted by: chelsea girl at 02.12.05 at 7:28 AM
I love the Dears - the first time I heard them I embraced them wholeheartedly. Am enjoying your blog - you are bookmarked for daily checking. will likely link to you soon - especially with all the great posts you are doing!
Posted by: vikramseth at 02.12.05 at 8:40 AM
I'm a terrible, sloppy of these folks after we stumbled into seeing them first at the Jane day party last year (Ironically, with Ambulance, LTD and Mary Lou Lord), then later at their Buff Billiards showcase. Soaring guitars, angular lines, yet as with many, many bands, very different live than on acetate. Check out both before judging...
Posted by: dmahoney at 02.14.05 at 8:15 PM
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