Dearly Missed Until Now
The Dears - No Cities Left
Before I talk about this album, I'll apologize again for not posting much again this week. Work is still kicking my butt and my free time this week has been dedicated to getting another site off the ground. Quite a bit less universal, a friend of mine and I are starting up a Raleigh-focused blog... Which means that once again I am delving into an overpopulated arena to try to make my little bitty splash... We're starting it because we both love to stay up on the goings on in our beloved city and we spend hours discussing. So, much like I have done with this site here, we have decided to take these thoughts and conversations public. If you're interested, check it out:
And if you live in Raleigh or know anyone who does, please pass the word along!
Ok back to the music. I've had this one in my CD collection for a while now, but it looks like it finally made it into Rhapsody. Not sure how long it has been out there but after noticing that Michael Penn's new one was out there and on SpinART too, I decided to check yet again for the Dears. Well, lo and behold Rhapsody finally comes through. Not sure what the hold up was getting SpinART onto Rhapsody as they have been on iTunes for quite some time. Such is the mystery of online music...
So I am sure many of you have heard the Dears' single off this album. You were probably like me saying, "Huh, this is a pretty cool Morrissey tune... a little more rockin' than he usually is..." And then as the song progressed, I'm sure your thoughts were in line with mine, "This is a REALLY cool Morrissey tune... I'm digging the whole change midway through... nice groove." And then as we get towards the end of the song, you had to have been thinking the same as me, "Holy CRAP, who knew Morrissey had it in him? He's freaking screaming! Who knew he actually had an emotion besides melancholy?"
Well, it wasn't Morrissey at all, but rather Murray Lightburn, lead singer for the Montreal band The Dears. While none of the rest of the tracks on No Cities Left quite reach the heights or intensity of that first single, "Lost in the Plot," it is a strong album nonetheless. It has been a fairly regular part of my rotation since I finally gave in and bought the CD a while back. It is heavily influenced by Britpop of old, but luckily also has occasional flourishes that pull it front and center into your brain. My only complaint is that it is long and sometimes difficult to wade all the way through. But, if you can make it, I'm sure you'll agree that it was worth it. Enjoy!
