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The DearsNo More Cities Speak & Spell/Inertia OK, let's get this over with really quickly so we can move on: Murray A Lightburn, lead singer/songwriter of The Dears, sounds a bit like Morrissey; or perhaps Damon Albarn in Blur's more soulful moments (think The Universal rather than Parklife). OK? That's all we need to say on the subject. Actually, no. Like Morrissey and Albarn, Lightburn knows his way around a memorable lyric and a strong melody, which are qualities The Dears have in spades. 'No Cities Left' is the Montreal sextet's second album and first to get an international release, meaning that the band seem to have appeared fully-formed with an album that's impressive in scope and filled with some A1 quality songwriting. What's particularly nice about 'No Cities Left,' having lived with it for a little while now, is that songs that maybe didn't grab on first listen have slowly revealed their charms over time (the slow burning The Second Part being a good example, or the shuffling groove of Never Destroy Us). However, those who like to be grabbed immediately should skip straight to Lost In The Plot, a huge, storming song that should remind The Killers that they don't have a monopoly on classic pop melodies, or the jaunty (and, let's not be coy, Blur-like) Don't Lose The Faith. The album has also been ordered in an old-school side A/side B so remember to take a few seconds after Cos She's A Tourist's closing wall of sound before embarking on the haunting Pinned Together, Falling Apart. Lest it all sound a bit too bloody accomplished, there are some welcome moments of humanity (for all of his soaring vocals, Lightburn struggles to hit the low notes in the duet The Death Of All The Romance, and the screamy punk coda for Never Destroy Us is as superfluous as it is inappropriate). It also could probably have been trimmed of a couple of songs (Warm And Sunny Days is pleasantly lilting but does little to lift the second half of the album), but in any case 'No Cities Left' is one of those albums in which you'll still find something new years down the track.  |
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