The Dears: Missiles (New Album)

By Pete Donahue

The Dears‘ fourth studio full-length offering, Missiles, is a little gem you might want to keep your ears on for the next few months. Sure, upon its initial listen, the album may have pulled you in a few more directions than you were ready for. But like the Montreal outfit’s other studio albums, this one’s a “grower.” It’ll creep up on you note by note, song by song and then it’s one of your favorite albums of the year. But wait, how did that happen?

Missiles is a record born out of despair. Despite being shortlisted for Canada’s Polaris Music Prize with their 2006 album Gang of Losers, Murray Lightburn and gang found themselves without a North American record label in 2008. Ah, and the dreaded creative differences and other musical obligations among members caused the once six-strong band to dwindle back down to its original members, singer/songwriter Lightburn and his wife, keyboardist Natalia Yanhack. But as Gang of Losers depicts, having their backs against the wall isn’t anything new for the Dears. Their response? Lightburn writes the Dears’ best album to date in Missiles.....(Read more here - taken from Muzzle Of Bees Music Blog)