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The Dear Hunter - Act II: The Meaning Of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading Review


by Jason Marder

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Nowadays, it is oft believed that concept albums are the mark of a dilettante: a self-absorbed band that's becoming much too big for its britches. The Dear Hunter, however, not only disproves this preconception, but tramples any remnants of criticism launched their way with Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading, the brilliant follow-up to and continuance of the introductory Act I: The Lake South, The River North. What sets the band apart, though, like Coheed and Cambria, the only true contemporary that comes to mind, is that The Dear Hunter is the concept in and of it's self. Like the unfurling epic of Coheed and Cambria, their unrequited love affair, and the Amory Wars, The Dear Hunter's lone objective is to tell the saga of its own respective characters. Thus, singer/multi-instrumentalist/ringleader Casey Crescenzo and his Bostonian compatriots (guitarist Erick Serna, and the sibling combo of keyboardist Luke Dent and drummer Sam Dent) eat, live, and breathe the music that tells the ambiguous yet engaging tale of the narrator simply known as "The Dear Hunter".

The Dear Hunter started as but a side-project for Crescenzo, the esteemed vocalist formerly of The Receiving End of Sirens, but quickly burgeoned into something much more significant, and seemingly more suitable for the man's unique, untamed vocal cords. Beginning with the self-produced, limited run (rumor has it only 10 copies) of the Dear Ms. Leading demos, The Dear Hunter seemed mere entertainment for Crescenzo, a part-time amusement on the side of his acclaimed outfit. As the songs began circulating, however, the obscure Dear Hunter became the buzz of the music industry, leaving listeners yearning for more though many knew the hope was unfounded because of the growing excitement over The Receiving End of Sirens. Luckily, to the joy of said fans, the commotion swirling around Crescenzo's quaintly self-indulgent and seemingly more liberating musical outlet led the phenom to, as he says on the vigorous "The Procession", "proceed to the road beyond the home he's learned to call his own" and leave The Receiving End of Sirens to concentrate full-time on The Dear Hunter. But where to begin? The answer, to the band, or should I say the stripped down duo of Crescenzo and his brother, was to release Act I, a microcosm of and mere appetizer to the novel, slightly-more-sophisticated-than-Panic!-at-the-Disco-cabaret-pop brilliance that is the conceptual Dear Hunter.

Shortly after the release and its foreseeable resultant praise, Crescenzo took the solidifying step of fleshing the band out into its current lineup and recording a masterful sophomore effort in Act II. Although the new disc continues in the sonic vein of Act I, it takes a bolder and grittier approach to the harlequin show tunes of its predecessor, most noticeably on the aforementioned "The Procession" and the homage to Mars Volta riff-rocker "Dear Ms. Leading". Never fear readers, there are plenty of glaring yet welcome reminders of The Dear Hunter of yore. For instance, the standout track "The Lake and The River" effortlessly incorporates bouncing, sing-songy orchestrations, a dare-I-say head-banging bridge, a climactic chorus, a gospel-tinged breakdown, a jazzy solo, and a closing O Brother Where Art Thou chant along to boot into a 9-minute-plus epic. "The Bitter Suite", a near 15 minute opus with all the same puzzle pieces, reflects and encapsulates the manifold essence of The Dear Hunter's inimitable sound, which forges seemingly unpalatable tastes together to form self-contained masterpieces that somehow tie into the overlying goal of storybook continuity. Overall, however, Act II is most notable for marking the band's progression, perfectly displayed in "The Church and The Dime" with its emotional backing vocal and grand piano accompaniment, the sensory overload chorus highlighted by Crescenzo's throatier, edgier, Matt Embree-like (RX Bandits) vocals, and its rousing, rocking bridge. Similarly, the ethereal balladry and spot-on jazz drumming of "Where the Road Parts" perfectly complement Crescenzo's soaring, soul-bearing vocals.

Whereas the Act I EP barely whet our eager appetites with the genius of Crescenzo's brainchild, The Dear Hunter, the full length Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading satiates the hungry listeners and signals the indubitable prosperity and longevity to come. And while The Dear Hunter is clearly Crescenzo's baby, his cohorts make notable contributions to the band's signature multi-layered, aural soundscapes to round out the fuller, more perfected sound of the new release. Although no inquiries can be made of the band's legitimacy after such a solid disc, one pressing matter still torments me, and I'm sure all fans alike: how long must we wait for Act III?


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