The Dear And Departed
Something Quite Peculiar
3.9/5

Who It’s For: Miserable Panic! At The Disco fans. Anyone too young to remember Sisters Of Mercy
Sounds Like: Goth-Emo from 1983.

When your album opens with the sound of a requiem and your drums are slathered in cathedral-esque reverb, you know you’re listening to the ravings of Depeche Mode fans. Or friends of AFI. Either way, let’s put our collective heads to the speaker, for Something Quite Peculiar is a well executed look outside of the traditional modern rock box.

Few bands are taking the importance of the elder goth bands influence seriously enough (I assume no one is going to mention Evanescence, right?), but The Cure, The Church, Sisters, the aforementioned ‘Mode; all cast a gloomy shadow over the strident miserablism of 21st century rock. Fortunately in The Dear And Departed we have their sound brought forth and made tight and melodic. And unhappy. The point, surely? 

Producer Chris Vrenna (NIN, Smashing Pumpkins) has done a class act here, getting the very best from TD&D, crystal clear tones and Dan Under’s nasally vocals complementing the mix. But it’s the songs that are most important, and here Something Quite Peculiar shines; from “Hometown Hero” (check out that flange! Awesome!), pulsating “Fly Me Away,” or “Return To Sender’s” big Whoa-oh chorus, all by way of token (but very good, in no way merely due to presence of Alexisonfire’s Dallas Green) ballad “To Cut A Long Story Short,” what you get is fast paced modern rock that’s never less that compelling.

My only fear would be that by so successfully straddling old-school-new-school goth rock and goth-emo that TD&D might turn off as many as they turn on. Which would be the shame of the year, as Something Quite Peculiar should, and could, make The Dear And Departed very big indeed.

Track Listing:

1. And We Begin...
2. I Will Love Again
3 Masquerade
4. Fly Me Away
5. Tonight’s The Night
6. Hometown Hero
7. To Cut A Long Story Short
8. Bordering On Ordinary
9. Return To Sender
10. Closer / Closure
11. Are You Feeling Awkward Yet?
12. The Fireflies
13. Running Against The Wind
14. Under The Milky Way

- Kid Lupin