PLEASE GET THIS ALBUM!!!!

And that album would be No Cities Left from the Dears. The lovely Renee Frisch* hooked me up with this near perfect album and I can't thank her enough. No, for real, I'm being serious...near goddamn perfect.

So the lead singer, Canadian dude Murray Lightburn, is this bad ass negro with a heavy Morrissey fixation and he brings it to the table big time. Now I know what you are thinking, "Huh, a colored canuck all up in Morrissey's grill? Oh lord I'm so confused. Please Erika bring forth your infinite wisdom and school me on this." And to you my child I say this: I'm gobsmacked too but shit if I'm not loving it like a fat kid loves cake.

I'm so not into working out someone else's pre-existing persona/vibe as yours but not kidding, it's like some loving tribute to the Moz and his world that inspires old Murray here. I can hear the influences instantly but it doesn't seem contrived or predatory it just...flows. Maybe I'm not too hung up on it because:

A) Dude has a clear and precise voice
B) He be singing from some special place on track 3...give me a crescendo and a scream/sing from the gut at the end of a song and I'm yours
C) Never was a huge Morrissey/Smiths fan so I ain't trippin'...later in life yes, I have developed an appreciation for the Smiths, I do admit
D) The Moz himself asked the band to open for him and this in turn made Murray burst into little bitch tears...touching. Also, if Mr. Stephan Patrick Morrissey ain't got beef there is no need for you to
E) The album just rulz...end o' story

After all that it must be said that the musicianship on this album is BRILLIANT...not okay, not good...not even rad...knock you on your ass brilliant. And yes, I'm an excitable lass but for real, I mean it, I'm not being dramatic and you are going to have to go with me on this. Again...PLEASE GET THIS ALBUM!! And no, I'm going to tell you a track to listen out for cause I don't even have a favorite one, they all are great. (Except for one of em...that is why it is near perfect NOT perfect. I shall not whisper it's name...figure it out on your own.)

Moral of the story: This album hurts my feelings it's that good.

http://www.thedears.org/index4.html

BTW--They will be playing at Maxwell's in star-studded Hoboken, NJ on March 25th (day after QOTSA...one more time...I got tickets!)...$12 a pop. It will be awesome.

*The lovely Renee Frisch has recently been bringing it with all the discs she has been burning mama here. Before this it was Arcade Fire that was IT for me (track #6, "Crown of Love"...yes I will mist the monkeyfuck up about it now)...another gem of an album that must be acquired and loved. I have a crush on it.

http://www.arcadefire.com/