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The Dears: Degeneration Street

Dangerbird

The Dears work you gently into Degeneration Street with its opening track, “Omega Dog.” One bar at a time, the groove builds as layers of beats, guitars and finally an eerie high-pitched voice welcomes you into its dark, orchestral fantasy. Heavy reminders of Radiohead are clear throughout the album’s 14 tracks: ethereal mixes of synthesizers, prominent guitar lines, orchestra string-laden background sounds and haunting choirs. Lead singer Murray Lightburn’s voice slides between forceful and delicate in songs like “Tiny Man” and “1854.” Throughout Degeneration Street, the Canadian sextet brings thick themes to most tracks, while only allowing a few glimpses of light into an otherwise demonic-tinged album. Whether whining in high desperation or threatening, “If you wanna stomp on me, I’m gonna stomp on you,” the album holds listeners’ attention through the twisted, but catchy pop world.