For those of you not familiar with The Dears, they hark from Montreal and have been around for some thirteen years now, although this is just their fourth studio album to date and may indeed be their last. Once described by Eric Missio as “the sonic equivalent of seeing the face of God”, they are a heavy proposition indeed.

They’ve not had a smooth family journey getting here either, with as many members as years on the clock. At the conclusion of ‘Missiles’ their fold was down to just two, hence the fear that they might disappear altogether very soon, which would be something of tragedy based on this latest offering.

‘Missiles’ is a finely crafted piece of work and I defy anybody to fall in love with it at first sight! But if you’re prepared to work at it, then you will glow in the majestic troubled beauty that comes flowing through. It’s a complex piece of work and, like their previous efforts, leans heavily on the blues at times and the musical structure often exudes a distinct jazz feel. But don’t let that concern you, the core of the band’s sound is very much in the indie arena, with haunting melodies and the dreamy vocal style of linchpin Murray Lightburn, who has been tagged the “Black Morrissey’ in the past.

I once referred to their 2003 superb second album ‘No Cities Left’ as sounding like Morrissey duetting with Damon Albarn at Ronnie Scotts and there remains strong evidence here still of such an unlikely yet intriguing allegiance.

Take the opening track for example, “Disclaimer”, a swirling ethereal piece with Lightburn crooning for you to come back before the journey has even started, maybe symbolical of his frustration with the music industry and the world at large. Next up is‘Dream Job’ which shines through as one of the set’s best tracks and is somewhat easier to digest! It’s a beautiful melodic lament, delivered with heartfelt bitter disappointment. What else would a miserable indie fan look for in a piece of music?!

“Berlin Heart” is a vexing tale of heartbreak and reminds me of Lou Reed’s epic “Berlin” album and not just because of the similarity in titles! Lyrically, Lightburn is truly accomplished and juggles with words superbly, “with tears that just won’t quell this riotous beat of a heart that can only feed on the darkness of a hell below us”. Or take “decapitative laughter is keeping us alive, cavalcades of losers losing their minds” from ‘Money Babies’. But the key here is the blend of such lyrical complexity with an often hypnotic musical backdrop; the whole affair feels tortured and helpless. It’s a harrowing experience and is superbly concluded on the epic 11-minute finale that is “Saviour”, which brings back memories of early pioneering Roxy Music pieces.

The band fell apart at the end of the five-month recording period and you can feel the troubled anguish and tension throughout the album. One has to question whether such a fine set would have emerged had there been greater harmony. All that said, I’m more than pleased that I have discovered a small piece of diamond in amongst a sea of splintered glass. And, for me at least, stands out as one of the year’s best releases.

Final words must go to Lightburn who, with or without The Dears, must surely continue his art; “I’m a negro just trying to get by on very little”. Listen to it, absorb it, then tell the World!

TC (Trevor Clark) www.tcsrockbar.com