Category: Reviews

The Luyas – Too Beautiful to Work

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Rating: ★★★½☆

While some people claim that Canada is just a cold place with Moose, and people that say “eh,” we all know that Canada is perfect for supplying us with excellent indie bands, such as The Luyas. With their interesting combination of noise, keyboards, and occasional horns and string work, they are sure to differentiate themselves from the other Canadians.

The first song and title track, “Too Beautiful to Work,” starts off with an infectious electric melody that is mirrored at every note with the candied vocals of Jessie Stein. Her vocals are choppy and match the mechanical sound as playfully light drums dally through the song. All the while through the sharpness of the vocals, the screech of violin resounds; even when the song breaks down before its finish, the violin elegantly juxtaposes with the feedback and gritty noise, and compliments the tight drumming. The sound stays relatively the same on the next few numbers, wavering to more chill numbers like “Worth Mentioning” and “Tiny Head.”

The next strong track comes with “Moodslayer,” as the crash of cymbals fill the space where the electronic beats were. Some classic guitar and ghostly “oohs” mark this sound different from the previous tracks, and shows the listener that The Luyas are not simply a one trick-pony of ‘experimental’ electronic sounds; there are some poppy elements to their sound by means of with some fine horns and xylophone parts that keep things light and fresh. With the voice of Stein, it doesn’t seem like this would be a very hard task for this band to accomplish, but with all the layers of noise that they create, it is easy to be bogged down by the weight of the instruments alone.

Evidence of the instruments growing slightly too heavy comes towards the end of the album. With some of the longer tracks, like “Cold Canada,” where the electronic noises stifle the song slightly, making it feel overdone and tired. Perhaps it is simply the distinct voice of Stein that allows this album to slide to boring and laborious. However, The Luyas kick out this streak of monotony with the last song “Seeing Things.” The simplicity alone of this track sets it apart from the others in that it lets the audience breathe a little bit. Soothing and delicate, it provides a lovely endnote for Too Beautiful to Work.

All in all, this sophomore effort from The Luyas wasn’t a door buster, or a flat creation. Somewhere in the middle, they made a fairly entertaining album whose standouts will surely linger in their ears of their listeners.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/01-Too-Beautiful-To-Work.mp3]

Download: The Luyas – Too Beautiful To Work [MP3]

King Creosote – Thrawn

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Rating: ★★★★½

In all likelihood, you’ve probably heard very little about Kenny Anderson up until this point in time; I was definitely in the same boat.  However, the release of Thrawn, the first King Creosote album to make its way overseas should hopefully change that, at least if you’re listening closely to the album.  It’s a Scottish influenced folk affair from a man who doesn’t seem to be seeking out the fame and fortune of other bands, instead he’s quietly releasing his own music, whether we pay attention or not.

Once you play the opening track “Bootprints,” you might find yourself thinking of cleverly crafted pop music a la Sondre Lerche.  Anderson’s voice is so perfect, in both pitch and tone.  The music has a hint of cocktail lounge, giving a little hint at some sort of modern tropicalia. But, Thrawn isn’t a record that’s going to stay in one place for too long.

“You’ve No Clue Do You” recalls Van Occupanther-era Midlake, or one could throw Fleetwood Mac into that too.  However, it’s Anderson’s slight change in pitch during the chorus, going just a tad bit higher, that really makes such a track truly remarkable. Then it moves off into “King Bubble’s in Sand,” which has more of an oddball folk appeal, though not in an overly quirky sense.  It’s a short track, and it uses some non-traditional percussion to go along with slight piano dancing in the background, then it’s over in less than two minutes.  But, that’s okay, as King Creosote offers up one of the album’s greatest tracks, “Missionary.”  You’ll probably notice some similarities in the vocal performance here, and the strumming for some reason reminds me of innocent campfire scenes surrounded by fans.  There’s nothing contrived or dishonest here…just straight-ahead pop glory.

One of the unique things about Thrawn is that despite various nod to other musicians, whether intentional or not, the entire record sounds perfectly fresh.  You get a song like “Little Heart,” which sounds like a great deal of Scottish janglers, yet it’s one of those songs that rises out of such an homage, establishing itself on its own merits.  There’s some backing vocals to provide more-depth, and the pacing just fits perfectly with the overall mood of the song.  I mean, listening to this song, “what’s with the frown?”

For the little I know about King Creosote, despite my research and press bios, I wasn’t entirely prepared for such heartfelt songs like “My Favourite Girl.”  It’s a pretty simple ballad, similar to many marking the twists and turns of this album, but there’s something emotionally moving about the track.  It’s an unexplainable thing; it’s not the piano atop the gentle strumming, or the softness of Anderson’s vocals; its just got that “it” factor that we all yearn for in our everyday listening experience.  You’ll find many tracks like this throughout the whole of Thrawn, probably different than the ones that stood out to my ears.  Such is the force of this record, appearing out of nowhere to win over countless listeners, on the recommendation of one man alone. Hopefully this great work will not go unnoticed any longer; go check out the King.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/04-Missionary.mp3]

Download: King Creosote – Missionary [MP3]

Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

You know that old addage, if it works, don’t change it?  Well, for long-time fans of Mogwai, it seems that this has sort of been their mantra for quite a while.  Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is the band’s seventh studio album, and while I honestly can’t say that I hate this record (not in the least), I also don’t think I’ll be able to say that I’m going to fawn over it for any lengthy period.  That being said, it’s one of their better releases, of the last three or four.

“White Noise” sort of begins where you’d expect a new Mogwai album to lift off.  It’s got some nice little guitar lines, one of those cymbal-heavy drum pieces, and then electronics begin to burst forth, though not in an overbearing fashion. It never really goes anywhere, yet it’s not like you’re asking the song to take you on some journey necessarily.

When you arrive at “Rano Pano,” that distorted guitar humming in the foreground really makes you hopeful, praying that the band’s just going to unleash a wall of sheer noise on you.  And I suppose that in some manner, this is what they do provide, building guitar line upon guitar line, adding synthetic noise atop it all.  However, the one thing that’s been unfortunate is that the band has such great prowess with their songwriting that they almost always show a fair amount of restraint.  Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is filled with songs that leave open the space for some sort of sonic explosion, like “Rano Pano,” yet they hold back.  I reckon they’re probably laughing at us all, knowing that we’re here pleading for them to unleash some fury.  If you’re looking for that, you’ll probably find that “San Pedro” is one of the tracks on this effort that fits the bill, and it’s sure to be one of those Mogwai stage songs where the band completely let loose, as they’ve been known to do on occasion.

Perhaps one of the oddballs in this collection, though one you should listen to, is “Letters to the Metro.”  It’s by far one the quietest moment on Hardcore, and it’s possibly the most beautiful, if only in the sense that it doesn’t have the same tension building tactic that other songs utilize.  These are the sort of tracks that you wish Mogwai would infuse in their albums more often, and not solely because they’re deemed “pretty,” but because they provide a more subtle step in the album’s pacing as a whole.  They can clearly still show their craftsmanship as a band here, but it provides for a more dynamic listen.

As with all Mogwai records, I know that I’ll break this out at some point in my year, yearning for something that will just clear my head for a little bit, allowing the musical part of my brain empty out.  Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will should be seen as a band that seems to always maintain their skills, yet never forage into new territories.  Perhaps, if you’re looking for a fault, it’s that this record, as well as a few in the past, doesn’t see the band trying to break into anything new and bold.  Instead, it’s a good album, but nothing that will have us asking why aren’t there more bands like this one?

The Cave Singers – No Witch

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, The Cave Singers have a different blend of folk than most of the more traditional stuff coming out of the East.  No Witch is their third proper album, and it continues to further the band’s sound, this time adding some newer elements that give a bit of a twist to their sound.

Beginning the album is “Gifts and the Raft,” which has an extremely quiet whispering element to it, perhaps reinforced by placing vocals atop vocals.  String arrangements give the song more depth, especially when they sound like a shimmer, rather than the more pristine parts that come later. Quiet folk presides with the second track, “Swim Club,” barely changing things up from the first track.  This isn’t a knock by any means, as this song uses some more production twists that enhance The Cave Singers on this adventure.

“Black Leaf” gives No Witch a bit of a lift, with a grittier bit of guitar.  For the whole of the song, you can feel a bit of a folk-stomp building, and this allows for some differentiation before the sound is swallowed up.  However, this song shares so many sonic similarities to “At the Cut” from Welcome Joy that it’s hard to get past the track as a bit of a rehash from the previous record. Still, it allows the group to go beyond just this gentle folk with raspy vocals, moving into a slightly haunting “Falls.”  Here, the pacing alone forces you to fill in the empty space.  Pete Quirk definitely shows off a bit more range here, or at least a bit more technique.  And then suddenly the band heads off into a bit of a psychedelic folk groove mid-track, even using some organ.

It is, of course, great to have some of the past living here, especially with songs like “Outer Realms,” but one would be mistaken to call the rest of the album more run of the mill Cave Singers tracks.  For instance, you have “Clever Creatures,” a song that uses a more present drum track than I remember the band utilizing in the past.  Put that alongside Quirk giving more of a forceful vocal performance throughout the entirety of No Witch, and you have the band moving in a more complete direction.  In the past, while I’ve loved everything, there’s always seemed to be just one thing missing, but this is not the case here at all.  “Haystacks” is one of the record’s stronger offerings, beginning with some harmonica to open it all up.  But, in the middle, you get the feeling of a gospel-influenced folk song, much as they’ve all been traditionally.  It now seems that band have completely moved from being labeled as just a post-punk folk outing.

Whether or not you’re familiar with The Cave Singers is probably irrelevant by this point, as the band seem to have really pushed themselves forward on No Witch.  Yes, you’ll find pleasurable, yet traditional, tracks like “Swim Club” to keep around old fans, but there seems to be so much more within the folds of these tracks.  Just take the brief shrieks on closing track “No Prosecution if We Bail,” and you’ll see that a more rocking element is beginning to emerge.  In the end, the band seems to have grown, filling out their sound with new elements, giving us a record that is anything but incomplete.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/02_Swim_Club_1.mp3]

Download: The Cave Singers – Swim Club [MP3]

Echo Lake – Young Silence EP

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Rating: ★★½☆☆

As this is their very first release, Echo Lake are new to the music scene. They are a psychedelic/ambient pop band hailing from London, as their Myspace page claims. With their floods of gritty guitar and distorted echo-y vocals, the band fits the genre pretty well with this debut. At six tracks, it is a long EP, but each track works with the others to weave the listener in and out of a stream of consciousness.

“Sunday Evening” – as the first whispers of heavy guitars waft through the emptiness, it feels like the calm before the storm, almost foreboding. In a sense it is: then some strumming and tambourine follow, and the noise builds upon itself until the silence has been replaced completely by sugary layers of distortion, making you feel like you’ve lost all your senses; perfect in encompassing the band’s sound.

From the beginning of “In Dreams,” you can straight up hear a greater influence of percussion elements. Soft drums kick off, but by no means a shift from the distortion of the first song. The sweet feminine vocals coat everything in a bath of what I want to say is warmth, but in contrast to the instrumentation, it feels cold and almost mechanic in nature.

Next comes “Everything is Real,” which is juxtaposed against the previous song in their titles. However, Echo Lake continues with their airy distortion, belying the title, and making you feel as though nothing is real.

“Memory Lapses,” the fourth song, is complete instrumental song, and at a minute and fifty four seconds long, it is probably the song that could have be avoided when choosing songs to put on your first ever release. Yes, it fits with the two songs before it in a cathartic sense, but it does not bring any new elements to the table.

Next comes “Young Silence,” in which the guitars seem a smidgen less distorted. As for that matter, everything feels a bit clearer. Still, there lingers the omnipresent vocals that push and pull at the song, but there seems to be more clarity. By no means is it a jump in genre; I still feel as though my senses have had reality clouded for them with every jangle of the percussion and every indiscernible lyric.

Lastly is “Buried at Sea,” which is similar to that of the first song in length. Echo Lake likes to surround you with their sound. They open with a long track, and close with one, making you feel like you’ve been dreaming for the approximate twenty minutes that the EP lasts. Lke a dream, it feels as though you’ve been out of conscious for longer than it’s duration.

If you had to choose one song on this EP to listen to, I’d say that you should stick with the first track. Even though it is the longest, it provides a grasp of what this band’s sound consists of, and has the most tangible sound to follow. While I enjoyed this six-song set of work from Echo Lake, it did become a lot of echoes to handle in a sitting. I’m interested to see how their sound translates to the full-length setting. Whether it becomes banal or takes off in a whole new direction is up to them.

Yuck – s/t

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Listening to Yuck time and time again makes it one of the easiest albums to review.  The band hs influences all across the alternative rock spectrum, and while the majority of those are from bands of yesteryear, their spin provides some refreshing energy into a sound we’re all familiar with at this point.

Everyone should immediately recognize that there is one drawback, and only one to the first album from Yuck: it’s got really obvious influences.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, as the band never go too far into mimicking their heroes, usually using various methods to further their own sonic pallate, which should be acceptable considering the band’s young age. Put that thought aside though from the get go because despite a perceived lack in originality, you’ll find everything you need in a great record: melodies, guitar hooks, edginess and anthem-like lyrics.

“Get Away” begins this self-titled affair with a bit of distorted guitar a la Dinosaur Jr., with a hint of Kim Deal playing bass beneath it.  It’s a reminder of innocence that we often associate with early purveyors of indie rock, doing what they can just to show off their musicianship and guarantee us a good time.  It’s been awhile since I’ve enjoyed listening to this sort of chugging, jagged guitar riffage.

Three tracks into Yuck and the band offers up a different spin with their tribute to the past.  This time around, they bring in the melodic moments of Teenage Fanclub, and they’re successful in precisely the same way the TF is; they bring a warm breeze into the guitar playing, which is odd considering the rain and fog associated with Great Britain.  But, the band also uses a nice little jaunt into a guitar solo to take the song to a different level, giving it more power than your normal tribute-style track.  You’ll find a similar stylistic presence on “Sunday,” as well, which is one of my faves here.

There are some different spins on this record though, one’s that show Yuck finding their own ground.  “Sucidie Policeman” comes off as a nice little ditty, but having a female foil to challenge the male vocals gives this song more depth overall.  It doesn’t read as just a stopping point in mid-album, rather it’s a place for the band to hang their own hat as they continue to flesh out their very own distinctive sound in the near future.  That also comes into play with the album’s original single, “Georgia.”  Perhaps it does fall into an more distorted version of C86 bands, but the important thing is that combining male/female vocals demonstrates the band’s willingness to mess with their own formula…and with tracks like all the ones on here, Yuck are sure to come across a horizon filled with gems for our ears.

The bottom line of it all is that Yuck is a band you should really pay close attention to for the time being.  Sure, songs like “Operation” definitely have a nod to Pavement, but who really cares?  I mean, are you going to tell me if you heard a record full of solid new tracks from your favorite nostalgic act that you’d be upset?  The bottom line is that despite all its nods to the past, Yuck is a record full of amazing songs that never bore you, that never seem dated.  It’s just a sign of great things to come, as there doesn’t seem to be many ways this band can go wrong.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Georgia-wavv-1.mp3]

Download: Yuck – Georgia [MP3]

Asobi Seksu – Flourescence

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Rating: ★★★½☆

With Fluorescence as their fifth studio album, Asobi Seksu has been around since approximately 2001, crafting dream pop music that is sure to stand out from anything else you’ve heard from the genre. It isn’t because the music is that drastically different from the others, it’s due to the voice of front woman Yuki Chikudate. At points the vocals don’t really feel like they match, but it’s this sort of calculated chaos that Asobi Seksu has ridden upon since their beginning.

 From the start of this album, you can grasp a clear idea of what this group is aiming for with this release: shoe gaze/psychedelic pop that resonates with their listeners. Hell, you could grasp this from the title and album art alone. The first song, “Coming Up,” begins with a bit of synth, some rolling drum beats, the shake of some tambourine and the borderline falsetto vocals of Chikudate. After a few moments the distorted and swirling guitar kicks in, surrounding the listener with its dreamy aura. From here, the song really takes off, mixing the already present high-pitched vocals of Chikudate, with that of James Hanna for some contrast. For a start, you can get much better than this: the buzzing hooks of the guitar entice, while the vocals make you wonder where else the group can go with the album.

Following this lush first number comes an example of the calculated chaos that I mentioned earlier. While the instruments take a grungier, dug in sound, the vocals do not and are left to waver over the top. One might think that a whispery vocal would be the compliment to such a sound, but instead it is accompanied with a full voice, oscillating a lot between highs and lows. For some parts of “Trails,” it comes across as slightly disjointed, but at others it feels so right. Towards the end of the number comes a breakdown that should surely prove amazing live. While not the highest pitch, the vocals are entrenched and dripping with emotion and feeling, as though they are being pushed to their very limit.

The rest of the album follows suit of these two songs, but some do not quite reach their caliber. Depending on your personal flavor, that could mean that the songs that delight me fall flat to you; there are so many elements to this shoe-gazy sound that everyone can find something that they like about it. Whether it be on the long epic track of “Leave the Drummer Out,” or on the short “Deep Weird Sleep,” there is bound to be something that sticks with you.

While Flourescence is not the most interesting album that is going to come out this year, or maybe even this week, it is still good enough to merit some of your time. It’s light and fluffy music that is perfect for the start of spring lingering around the corner.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/02-Trails-1.mp3]

Download: Asobi Seksu – Trails [MP3]

Dream Diary – You Are the Beat

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Rating: ★½☆☆☆

When you think of recent lo-fi/dream pop releases of the past few years, of the various names that come to mind, one of them is bound to be the sweet sounds of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. So what could be better than a band that sounds exactly like them, save some different members? Nothing right?  

Right off the bat, it’s easy to see the similarities between Dream Diary and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. On “Paper Flowers,” you have the same bright guitars, synthesizer hum, and breathy-whispered vocals. However, it’s missing the element that makes all the instruments and vocals connect seamlessly, and it comes off exactly like a cheap knockoff karaoke POBPAH song; even the pacing is akin to that of “Stay Alive.” Halfway through I wanted to know where Kip and Peggy were.  Everything that the band is doing in terms of their sound is right and euphonic; it doesn’t sound repulsive, it just feels wrong. The vocals fall flat and the melodic shoe-gaze pop rhythms just resound emptily with nothing to carry them.

A standout song, regardless of whether it sounds original or not is found in “Something Tells Her.” Tambourine shimmers and shakes it’s way around the track, and with the female vocal presence layering over the top of the male, the normal flatness is expelled. This makes for a twee tune that actually goes somewhere that feels right and I feel like if Dream Diary focused on making more tunes that sounded like this, they could have made this album so much better. A few tweaks here, a few changes there and they could have just made pop jams in their own way, avoiding the dreaded criticism of sounding too much like another group. Sorry Dream Diary.

Take it this way: when you want the horribly unhealthy neon orange macaroni and cheese from a box do you reach for the mediocre store brand? Hell no, you get Annie’s or even Kraft for that matter. In some instances name brand matters, and this is one of them. So as the last track of You Are the Beat, “Audrey of Spirits,” fades to its mediocre shoe-gaze ending, calmly scroll down your iTunes to P, and listen to the real version. If anything, this album made me hungry for upcoming release of POBPAH.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Dream-Diary-Something-Tells-Her.mp3]

Download: Dream Diary – Something Tells Her [MP3]

Telekinesis – 12 Desperate Straight Lines

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Telekinesis consists primarily of Michael Benjamin Lerner, who won over your attention from his first and self titled album. On 12 Desperate Straight Lines, he looks to keep you in his clutches, locking you in a steady sea of indie rock that will surely create a lasting adoration for this man and his craft.

Beginning with “You Turn Clear in the Sun,” Telekinesis picks up right where thy left off:  the crisp strumming of guitars immediately fill you with a swell of nostalgia for tracks form their last album like “Coast of Carolina.” In fact, these two songs are strikingly similar in that they both start with simplicity and then bust, with the crash of cymbals, into the airy and light sounds that this band has become synonymous with. Lerner’s intricate storytelling lyrics are back in full swing, and so are his borderline nasal-y vocals. However, the band seems to be in a slightly darker place lyrically, as Werner belts “I never loved you/ I’ve never loved anyone.”

This change can be felt instrumentally on the second song “Please Ask For Help,” which calls back on classic sound from the eighties with it’s trembling bass and guitars akin to that of Modern English. The drums punch harshly in the background while the guitar and Lerner echo in waves on the surface. Continuing this transition to darkness comes “50 Ways.” This song starts with a smidge of feedback and then some fairly grunge guitar that welcomes you into the song. However, Telekinesis knows their limits, and pulls back to their softer side, if only for a few seconds. The combination of soft to heavy rock fuses two drastically different textures of music and it works because Lerner’s voice bridges the gap between the two.

 If you listen to every track on 12 Desperate Straight Lines, you’ll be challenged to find a bad song. Each one is a fresh and snappy slice of what makes this band: rapid drumbeats, furious guitars, vital bass and wail of Lerner. By keeping the middle tracks relatively short, the band makes sure that they don’t become banal with their listeners; the only track after the third that pushes past the three-minute notch is the last. That being said, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t stop to admire those small songs. On “Country Lane,” my personal favorite song on the album, the band lures you in with the hooks of guitar, then coats their sound with distinct riffs of a higher guitar part, creating one of the albums finer moments.

Telekinesis has succeeded with this sophomore release in that they kept things simple: the tracks are moderately short and fitting, and the lyrics are sharp and witty. However, it’s not much of a jump from their previous album, which is not that problematic on this album, but could prove monotonous for this band if they don’t mix it up for their future releases.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/carcrash.mp3]

Download: Telekinesis – Car Crash [MP3]

The Dears – Degeneration Street

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Rating: ★★★★½

When the last Dears record, Missiles, came out, we all knew that there were obvious issues that needed to be addressed.  Amid line-up changes and more time spent collaborating with members old and new, the band have emerged with what might possibly be their best record to date.  Degeneration Street is full of squalls of feedback, great melodies and everything you’ve come to expect from the band.

You’ll begin the journey, and believe me, it’s a trek, with “Omega Dog” offering up a tight little angular guitar riff as Murray Lightburn does his best to approach a nice little falsetto.  There’s a nice little groove, and the guitar riff will definitely resonate with every listener.  Of course, the Dears never stand in place for long, going off into a darker corner of the song for the closing minute, with a fierce little guitar solo accompanied by noisy atmospheric elements.

But, one of the things that makes Degeneration Street so stunning is its ability to shift gears, much as the band does on the second track “5 Chords.”  While other bands bash out their hits in less than thirty minutes, here you’ll find a band building their sound, not only within individual tracks, but with the album as a whole.  This number definitely fulfills the happier pop element present in the record, with sweeping harmonies.  A stomping drum beat helps keep the pace through it all, but please, pay great attention to Lightburn, as its clearly his voice that deserves all accolades in this song.  Similarly, “Thrones” does a great deal to take the somewhat prog-leaning elements into a bit of melodrama, but that’s mean in a respectful sense.  Tiny guttural yelps from Murray signify his playfulness, which we can hope relates to his joy with writing this entire collection of songs.

You’ll never think that the band has gone completely soft after listening here, as sharp-edged guitars are a constant throughout.  Take “Stick w/ Me Kid,” which chugs along a jagged guitar line.  The keyboard or programmable element only furthers the tension in the song, keeping listeners on squirming.  Okay, so the operatic element in Murray’s voice definitely allows you to see a bit of light within the song, as we can imagine him standing in the middle of the audience, controlling us all with his voice as the band rages furiously on stage.

In the end, what stuck with me the most about Degeneration Street was the sense of jubilation that lives within the tracks, despite the usual lyrical content remaining.  Let’s face it, Murray hasn’t always been one for optimism, but even with similar themes intact, you can’t tell me that songs like “Yesteryear,” with its almost danceable beat, don’t portray a man who’s having a blast writing the record he always wanted to unleash.  Just try and tell me that “Easy Suffering,” in title alone, doesn’t paint the picture of a happier frontman. I blame this freedom and joy for one of the stronger tracks I feel the band have written, “Tiny Man.”  It’s a solemn tune, one that surely comes from Lightburn’s personal writing, but his vocal delivery, and the mood just creates something wonderful to witness, especially after following the band from their earliest years. Perhaps I’m a simpleton, but sometimes a step back from traditional habits allows for great moments to burst forth.

Such sentiment seems to pervade Degeneration Street.  At times in the past, they seemed victim of their unstable footing, but musical prowess never fell by the side.  It’s always lived in the writing of Murray Lightburn, and it seems that perhaps with a strengthened Dears line-up, he’s finally been able to fit all the pieces together, as we all hoped he would do.  It’s a sixty-minute affair, with varying styles, various approaches, all settling in the end, leaving listeners with one of the most rewarding listens that I’ve heard in a really long time.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/01-Omega-Dog.mp3]

Download: The Dears – Omega Dog [MP3]

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