The Dears - Gang of Losers

Best of 2006: Picks up where No Cities Left stopped

I was exposed to The Dears late in early 2006, almost two full yers after the release of their biggest and best work to date, No Cities Left. That album was close to an epic that would prove to be tough to follow... and it was. But their 2006 follow-up, Gang of Losers does the trick: it picks up the band's sound right where No Cities Left stopped and it continues to tell stories in a way that only Murray Lightburn can deliver, with the sound of his unique voice leading the songs into their climaxes and his ingenious guitar running straight through the heart of each of the melodies.

While the theme of ostracization prevails throughout most of the album, it does not drag and turn into a redundant and painful tale of complaint and negativity. Lightburn and his crew are able to turn things around with a catchy tune here and there, ending up with a positive outlook as the album comes to a close with the epic "Find Our Way To Freedom". The result is a musical work that retains a certain timeless feel to it (musically), while it still is quite timely in its messaging, turning it without a doubt into one of the best albums to have been released in 2006.