THE DEARS "Gang Of Losers"

I love to see progress in bands. Bands who come up, for instance, from less focused, more twee roots and bloom into something really magical, that's good stuff. Bands who really move forward by uncovering something new about themselves and executing instead of making the same record or forgetting how to write songs or something. I always had that hope for the bands on my label or other small labels. That one day, something would click in them, and these wonderful seeds they'd been planting would turn into a forest.

I also get a kick out of seeing bands who used to send me demos, finding success several years later, somehow, someway. It's going to happen when you get a million demos a years. Demos, heh. Montreal's The Dears sent me their first cd sometime back in 97-98? Maybe 99? It was nice, but at the time, I had no more room at the inn. But even listening to the new songs from their upcoming "Gang Of Losers" release back to back with ones from their 2003 release "No Cities Left", you can see they are trying to trump the last record and you can't imagine that little band from back then. Not a bad thing.

While No Cities Left was a more docile acoustic affair sprinkled with the odd arrangements of organs, accordions, Gang Of Losers is a lush powerhouse. They hinted at it with "Lost In The Plot" three years ago, but once you get past the "Sinthtro" to "Ticket To Immortality", you can tell, the Dears are ready for the big stage or like the lyrics tell ("the world is really gonna love you"). I've listened to GOL as a whole for the past month or so and it's much more satisfying that way, instead of plucking obvious singles like "Ballad Of Humankindness" or "Bandwagoneers". It's solid, from beginning to end and has a "glue" that keeps it all together. And the guitars are louder. I've included one of the best transitions, tracks 4 and 5, which sound so very good together.

HATE THEN LOVE
THERE GOES MY OUTFIT