|
|
|
|
 |
|
9 |
|
|
The Dear Hunter |
| Act II; The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading |
| Triple Crown Records | 2007 | Album |
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are few times, musically, when ambition meets execution, especially when the ambition is as incredibly large as Casey Cresenzo’s is. However, what Casey has produced with The Dear Hunter’s second release, “Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading”, is something of a musical masterpiece. An amalgamation of countless different influences and genres, “Act II” is an exercise in what can happen when a musician is so completely literate and involved in so many types of music that he can dip his hand into any genre and pull musical gold.
What is even more remarkable about The Dear Hunter is the scope of the entire project. Not only is the band musically progressive but lyrically as well. For those that do not know, The Dear Hunter is a concept band, every album and song relates to the large epic story that Casey & Co. are trying to tell. This kind of commitment to the concept allows the Dear Hunter to raise itself above the over pretentious band hoping to cement its place in rock history that most people think of when they think of a band with a concept album. The only other contemporary that commits to concept albums and progressive music on the level of The Dear Hunter (that I can think of) is Claudio Sanchez and his band Coheed & Cambria.
The Dear Hunter started merely as a side project for Casey Crescenzo to showcase material he felt did not fit in with the heavier music of his main band, The Receiving End of Sirens. After recording what he called “The Ms. Leading Demos”, it became apparent that his musical passion belonged to The Dear Hunter and no longer The Receiving Ends of Sirens. Casey left his previous band and, after generating a good amount of buzz around the industry with his demos, went on to record Act 1: The Lake South, The River North”. Act I was recorded and produced solely by Casey with only the help of his brother on drums and his mother on back up vocals. Act I proved to be only a taste of the musical feast that was to come.
After the success of Act I, Casey was finally able to gather a full permanent band and all the bells & whistles he could ever want to use in the studio. All these new developments helped to allow an incredible maturation of the Casey and the band’s sound. The choruses are bigger, the pianos louder and the sound more ambitious. More often than not, the band has attained an almost orchestral quality to their music. The music is still in the same vein as Act I, however the music appears to be darker and grittier, as if Casey is exploring the underbelly of the early 20th century world his story is set in.
The maturation of the band’s sound is omnipresent on every track of the album. However, it is most noticeable on songs like Smiling Swine when it appears that every member of the band is playing their instrument in a different style while at the same time playing in perfect musical harmony. The guitars shift through improvised jazz riffs and rock crescendos while Casey sings to a swing tune. The drums overlay with theatrical drum fills mixed in by a giant choir singing the timing of the song (1,2,3,4,…1,2,3,4) during the choruses. Its during this musical masterpiece that one suddenly realizes just how progressive and original The Dear Hunter is.
|
| Wilhelm H. Jacobs the III |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Help Support Kevchino - Use these links to buy new music.
|
|