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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fine debut, from the Anglophile gloom-merchants., 6 Jul 2005
I first heard about The Dears towards the end of 2004, with many people complimenting the apparent references to British indie-acts like Blur and The Smiths. I must admit, these allusions threw me a little when I first heard the album in December, with such comparisons rarely stretching beyond the odd vocal flourish, or the occasional, literary, lyrical couplet, littered sporadically throughout the album... with the whole notion of a Blur meets the Smiths style Britpop record (as suggested by other critics) really seeming as forced and as churlish as those constant Interpol/Joy Division comparisons. Instead, The Dears possess a sound that is partly influenced by the sound of classic British 80's and 90's indie-pop groups... but with further references to more contemporary acts like The Killers, Bloc Party, etc.As an album, No Cities Left has an epic, cinematic sound that is both sparse and desolate, but with a sense of prevailing hope to undercut the existing claustrophobia. There are acoustic guitars, pianos, organs and synths, all layered alongside a flourish of romantic strings and a pounding percussion that brings to mind the recording skills of Steve Albini... which creates a great sound that can go from ugly to beautiful (and sometimes back again!) all within a single moment. As a result, the musical arrangements practically soar in some places, particularly on the opening track We Can Have It, in which the great performance and arrangement of the band perfectly compliments the crooning, lovesick lyrics of lead-singer/producer/performer, Murray A. Lightburn. Many of the songs extend past the four-minute mark (which is the clearest indication that this act aren't really that similar to Britpop), giving the band a further tinge of the progressive, with certain moments of synthesiser experimentation or the long keyboard notes of fellow member Natalia Yanchak (who also supplies some strong backing/counter vocals) bringing to mind certain elements of Pink Floyd (particularly their mid-70's rock period of albums like Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and Animals). For me, the spirit of Pink Floyd is much more apparent here, with the music, for the most part, sounding dark and bleak (as evident from that bizarre and desolate cover art), with only the occasional horn or string arrangement or Lightburn's evocative, yearning lyrics to undercut the gloom. My personal favourite tracks are the opening, the abovementioned We Can Have It, as well as the single, Lost in the Plot (which had the astounding b-side Heartless Romantic... proof that this band are capable of much, much more!!), Warm and Sunny Days and the excellent 22: the Death of All the Romance (...my very favourite song on the album and the one that is, admittedly, closest to the style of The Smiths, Blur, Pulp, The Divine Comedy, etc). All in all, this is a fine debut album from a promising band... there' certainly a lot here to admire and a definite sound that will hopefully progress on their obligatory follow up album. Definitely one to watch...
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~ The Dears
~ The Dears
~ Fleet Foxes
~ MGMT
~ Doves
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