“I discovered The Dears during a strange period in my life when I was ill and recently single, signed off sick from work and, for several months, unable to leave the house. Once I became strong enough to walk the 150 metres up the road, I regularly visited my local library in Stoke Newington. It became a lifeline, as public libraries often are, and I raided their music library of CDs with carefree abandon. I made several enlightening discoveries during this period, United Future Organisation being one of the them, and The Dears another. . This is the Canadian band’s second LP, their third Gang Of Losers, popped up on my randometer only a couple of months ago. It’s a well-crafted album of indie pop, “musically directed” by Murray Lightburn, whose warm tenor voice carries subject matter both ‘light’ and in a romantic vein (We Can Have It) and that bordering on the apocalyptic (Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe?). And that’s just the first two tracks of the album. . Alongside other great bands coming out of Montreal: Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Dears are up there and should be better known in the UK. . Many of the tracks on this album are around the 5-7 minutes mark and often feature sweeping instrumental sections, creating a cinematic and epic effect, particularly on songs like Postcard From Purgatory and Pinned Together, Falling Apart. . My CD copy of the album includes the EP Protest, which is also brilliant and fitting to play right now. Loud. “This is the summer of protest” Murray sings here, originally back in 2004. Never more needed than now.” . FOR FULL REVIEW & PLAYLIST CLICK LINK IN BIO: . #thedears @thedears #nocitiesleft #lostintheplot #warmandsunnydays #wecanhaveit #summerofprotest #indiemusic #montrealbands #canadamusicscene #recordcollection #nowplaying #nowlistening #randomrecordreview https://www.instagram.com/p/CCUBizoJcIL/?igshid=g1svlk8sn0r7