Reviews
"The Dears have always oozed an epic romanticism, wrapping their Smithsian sense of alienation in grand pop harmonies and starry-eyed orchestrations.", Ranked #30 in Spin's "The 40 Best Albums of 2006" -- "They spin irascible outsiderdom into ultimately triumphant songs...", 4 stars out of 5 -- "Sonically raw but melodically rich, the Dears confront the surface contradictions in their musical identity with a defiance that's no longer just skin deep.", 3 Stars Out of 5 -- "Here Are Precisely Assembled, Melodic Songs That Shiver with Emotion.", 4 Stars Out of 5 -- "The Inventive, Shape-Shifting Arrangements Always Go the Extra Mile.", "'Ballad of Humankindness' counters Lightburn's downcast lament about loneliness and terrorism with frolicking guitars and a cheery, hopeful horn line.", 4 stars out of 5 -- "These songs achieve a universal warmth thanks to Murray's impassioned delivery, especially on the record's moving title track.", "Lightburn is a first rate lyricist who delivers his self-deprecating tales in both a plaintive drawl and a genuinely desperate scream."
