Sold Out
Paper Bag Vintage is thrilled to be reissuing No Cities Left, the critically acclaimed sophomore album from Montreal "orchestral pop noir romantique" ensemble The Dears. This remastered 2LP reissue is limited to 750 copies worldwide.
The Dears have always survived and thrived by breaking apart and rebuilding. And it’s with that spirit you should approach The Dears’ No Cities Left, the greatest and grandest work from a band for whom “epic” seems too a cheap descriptor, the ultimate culmination of the band’s unhinged onstage catharsis and studio sophistication. Yes, it’s a record about darkness, but only as a precursor to brilliant flashes of light (see: the rousing jangle-pop of “Don’t Lose the Faith,” the lush, string-swathed funk of “Never Destroy Us,” the title track’s defiant symphonic send-off). And as if to reinforce the album’s central theme of hope in the face of horror, the record's coolly dramatic first single, “Lost in the Plot" has been a staple on Canadian rock radio since its release in the spring. The Dears have since appeared on over 20 Best of 2003 lists, and have been nominated for myriad awards, most notably for Best New Group at the 2004 Juno Awards in Canada.
The liner notes say “Written and Directed by Murray A. Lightburn,” but this is not some soundtrack to an imaginary film. This is very real. In a modern world that’s blurred into an endless series of zeroes and ones, No Cities Left reminds you that your soul is not a dollar sign, that passion should never succumb to process. This music will not be embraced by the faint of heart, the hopelessly cynical or the emotionally insecure. But then, they're the ones who need it the most. - Stuart Berman