After a significant lineup change that left only two original members, it's only logical that the Dears alter their sound a little bit, with or without that intention. The results are actually very favorable; Dears trimmed down their sound to an extremely depressing OK Computer type batch of minor key tunes, and the style suits them well. Right from the get go, Missiles recalls the 1970's with a Dark Side of the Moon type saxophone solo on "Disclaimer", and it almost functions as if it were a real disclaimer: Warning – this album is going to not sound like No Cities Left! Their adventure into classic rock does not parallel that of Wilco's Sky Blue Sky, whose shot for Steely Dan guitar progressions coupled itself with huge arena rock solos. For The Dears, the 70's band of choice was Fleetwood Mac, and you can hear their influence especially in tracks like "Crisis 1 &2". Not only do the vocals switch from male to female, but the bare bones melody and infectious bassline could have fit perfectly on Rumors.
The solos could have been pulled off better. Half the time they're so noodly they belong at Olive Garden, and the other half they sound like the theme music to a porno flick. These weaker moments definitely don't ruin the music, but they are a bit laughable. The best course of action would have been to just stick with the stripped down Radiohead style from start to finish.
"Berlin Hearts" is sort of reminiscent of Radiohead's "Let Down," but it's mostly in the vocal line which takes on the same moaning rhythm. Both singers seem like they've got marbles in their mouths, and both tunes sound about as depressed as a sort-of-happy song can sound, and maybe a little more depressed than that. "Berlin Hearts" stands out from the album as a high point, but really Missiles out to be listened to as one solid thing rather than a track-by-track album. If you broke it apart, you might get pissed off at tunes like "Saviour", which clocks in at 11:20.
Most of Missiles' triumph is in the details. The keyboards, such a little touch, are totally what make "Lights Off" so crazy infectious; the bassline from "Demons" sounds like it was nicked from The Talking Heads, but the layers of classic rock that cover it are something else altogether. Unfortunately, the fact that the Dears have moved away from their original humongous sound might turn off older fans, and some critics have dealt with the album pretty harshly. If you'll give this disc a spin, though, I'm sure you'll find that a lot of that criticism is pretty unfounded.
Don't Believe Me?
www.myspace.com/thedears
Recommended If You Like:
Radiohead, The Frames, The Dears' Gang of Losers
