The Dear And Departed

Every Waking Moment

Written by: TL on 20/02/2012 23:28:22

The Dear And Departed is a band name I've seen pop up here and there for a while, without ever really taking note, but seeing as we've been sent their recent sophomore album "Every Waking Moment" for review, I've been digging a bit, and it seems to me like these guys are mostly famous for having toured in support of some of (pop?)punk's darker bands, namely AFI and Alkaline Trio, and lo and behold, they're signed to Equal Vision, have Davey Havok singing guest vocals on closing song "Smile And Nod" and the album was produced by none other than New Found Glory's Chad Gilbert. Sounds promising, no?

Well, it might, but the truth is that "Every Waking Moment", to get straight at it, isn't a very exciting listening experience. With AFI and Alkaline Trio having taken interest in The Dear And Departed, it's not really a surprise to find that the new album seems to borrow quite a few instrumental ideas from The Cure. This would normally be cool, except in the place of The Cure's songwriting genius, these guys employ a rather predictable pop-rock formula song in and song out, and in the place of legendary, charismatic frontman Robert Smith, these guys have in singer Dan Smith a man who sounds like many other youthful, hopeful pop-rock singers.

Effectively, my first impression is that this sounds like what The Cure would have sounded like, if their songs had been predictable and their sound more optimistic. Can you imagine that? If you know The Cure, surely this sounds like sacrilege to you, and if you don't, seriously, what are you even doing reading a review of this band? You have rock history to catch up on!

In all fairness it is of course vastly unfair to compare pretty much any band to The Cure, however much their choice of sound may dictate it, but even if we completely forget about this reference, I still have a hard time telling you that "Every Waking Moment" is a very interesting album. The sound itself, for starters, is just not very diverse as all, nor is it very powerful or characteristic at any given moment. It just sounds like.. well, like I said, like a pale yet poppier The Cure. Furthermore, the songs, besides being relatively samey, never seem to take off, and I think it has to do with Smith's range and ability limiting the band from establishing the same sort of lift in tonality and intensity that other pop-rock bands operate with come chorus time.

These problems make the album feel like it runs at the same 'level' from front to back, and not even Havok's guest appearance at the end can do anything to remedy this, nor can any amount of semi-catchy lyrics or melodies in the various choruses. "Every Waking Moment" is a mediocre record, and I think The Dear And Departed need to come up with a whole different wealth of original ideas and dynamic compositions if they want to make it anywhere significant on any future records.

6

Download: One In A Million, Star Struck, Depths Of Desperation
For The Fans Of: if The Cure had been happier and poppier, AFI's "Crash Love", Alkaline Trio
Listen: facebook.com/thedearanddeparted

Release Date 08.11.2011
Equal Vision

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