“No one should have to live all of their life on their own,” sings The Dears’ frontman Murray Lightburn, who sings and yearns just like his last name sounds, concerning the topics one might expect from an album entitled Gang of Losers. All throughout, Lightburn touches on loss and loneliness, whether finding humor in the moment or diving right into the emotional depth of it all.
For all the buzz you hear about the Montreal music scene from other bands like Arcade Fire, Tegan & Sara, The Stills, Wolf Parade (and so on), it’s important to note The Dears have been at this longer than most. Their orchestral turn on No Cities Left has given way to synths and guitar work but the result is largely the same: a mature, moody effort from a band who’ve proven their worth.
On “There Goes My Outfit”, Lightburn rides a lonely-yet-hopeful piano pulse while verbally processing the latest letdown. “I Fell Deep” finds drummer George Donoso impressing on lightly changing time signatures on one of the album’s more minimal tracks. Lead single “Ticket to Immortality” reaches for a larger chorus than most, although some harmonies weaken the effort.
Still, The Dears remain one of the indie scene’s mainstays for the past decade and shows a band learning to handle their role with grace. Rather than try to top No Cities Left, Lightburn and Co. simply allow the music to take them to a different place, albeit the mood is largely the same.
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