The Dears - Protest (EP)

There are rumblings of revolution coming from the musical north lately. Canadian rockers are gaining a hold on the indie US music scene, and they’re doing it on their own terms. Bands like Stars, Broken Social Scene and Sloan are critical darlings who are adored by their fans as well. So add to this growing list The Dears, a band from Montreal. They are causing a stir and letting us know exactly what they think on their recent 4-track EP, Protest. I have to admit that getting through opening track “Heaven Have Mercy On Us” to get to “Summer of Protest” is a lot like getting through “Pimpf” to get to “Behind the Wheel” on Depeche Mode’s 101 - It’s not that it’s so annoying a song; it’s just that there’s not much point to it, and the song that follows is so far superior, you wish they would just cut to the chase. “Summer of Protest” is also the only track on the EP that could even approach being considered a single. “No Hope Before Destruction” is mesmerizingly methodical at the start with a slow, soft bass drum and static opening, leading to the addition of lazy piano notes that suddenly skip, as a heart with arrhythmia might. Then the heavily distorted vocals enter, crackling their message of despair and before you know it, there’s this elaborate symphonic stretch for a minute, choir in the background. It’s a bizarre piece that just seems to suck you in and not let go. You know you’re going nowhere, but you can’t tear yourself away…I’m so very confused. A series of inhalations with a steady beat, “Protest (Parallel)” is another example of what I’ve determined is art-house music. It’s amazingly technical and impressive, and I like it, but I’m not sure why. However, I don’t think it’s anything I go to on a regular basis just to listen to casually. It’s just really interesting and beautiful to deconstruct and then enjoy all in one piece again. On most of the tracks from Protest, The Dears remind me of some of the more melodic, dreamy Joy Division in delivery with a little Thrill Kill Kultesque high-pitched backtrack vocal action. It’s a strange combination, I’ll admit, but the result is a multi-layered sonic experience that might just beat any drug for hypnotic effects. [www.thedears.org]