| CD REVIEW Dear Leader |
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Band : Dear Leader This Cambridge, Massachusetts based band is the vehicle of Aaron Perrino, formed when his former band The Sheila Divine (left us 2 EPs and E full-length albums) folded (following a truly nerving tour). Although the band announced they were not réally splitting but taking time off, Perrino was found at Cambridge’s Moonflower Studio right after the tour, recording new songs, and announcing his new project in April 2003. Next July 1st not only saw two debuts: the band’s first live performance (at their hometown’s The Lizard Lounge, where they would return every Tuesday of that month, bringing new songs each time), and their first (7-inch vinyl) single My Life As A Wrestler on the Lunch Records imprint (I’m guessing it’s Aaron’s own label). One week later saw the release of the 6-track War Chords EP (also included “Wrestler”). The material was quite different from that of Perrino’s former band, in that they were softer, acoustic, with a vocal style to match. 10-track album The Good Times Are Killing Me followed in October that same year, the material consisting musically of drums loops, keyboards, synths, and abstract sonic atmospheres (rumoured to be more like Echo & The Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, or New Order, than anything The Sheila Divine has ever done). Around that time the live band (currently consisting of Will Clafin, Jon Sulkow, and Paul Buckley) started working on songs which would see a partial return to Perrino’s louder past and aggressive vocals, while also taking on a political stance lyrically. This resulted in the October 2004 album All I Ever Wanted Was Tonight, which included “Raging Red”, a song that became a local radio hit. Working towards their November 2006 full-length album The Alarmist, the band released a live recording titled Live At The Paradise, Boston, MA (2005) and the on-line only EP Radar. Following the new studio album, came two more on-line only EPs (2007’s Nightmare Alleys and 2008’s Empty Chair), and a split EP release (on both CD and vinyl format) with label mates Taxpayer in between, during Summer 2007. The new album sees DL continue in their taken musical direction, but 4 of the 10 new songs on the album have been re-worked (recorded as such, and added to the album) in an acoustic version! Apparently Perrino occasionally goes out solo, playing acoustic sets…and allowing fans to hear a couple of the acoustic versions of this songs will most probably work in his favour, preventing people from suffering disillusions. If I’m honest, I definitely prefer the electrified songs! But there’s calmer songs there too, and in some of them (the ones with string orchestration mainly), there’s a Smiths flavouring coming through, amplified by Perrino’s slightly whining vocal style. I’m not sure whether any of the acoustic versions is recorded, but you can find no less than 45 songs posted in the “Music” section of the band’s website (www.) dear-leader.com (for once the MySpace page pales in comparison, especially since it isn’t exactly kept up-to-date!). Meanwhile, Perrino has already gone on, recording 6 covers for the on-line Covers EP (listen to ‘em in the news section – opening page – of the Dear Leader website). 82/100 Tony. |