It’s not every day you go to see a Canadian indie-rock band and see a whopping 14 people take the stage. But this was exactly the arrangement for The Dears at POP Montreal in the Mile End’s beautiful Rialto Theatre. The five-piece band led by Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak was supported by an incredible nine-piece ensemble of strings, brass, woodwind, and even a conductor. Knowing next to nothing about The Dears and their storied, 24-year history of indie chamber pop, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this small orchestra.
Playing their 2003 album No Cities Left in its entirety, we were treated to a set of truly epic proportions. Nearly every song stretched on for a minimum of five minutes, with new sections and parts crashing in again and again like waves against the shore.
Lightburn, once dubbed ‘The Black Morrissey’ on account of his powerful, intricately melodic vocals, put on a rapturous display behind the mic, on guitar, and even for a few spirited melodica sections. Each ballad could easily serve as the climactic number in an indie sleaze musical, with his tenor tones piercing through the dense web of instrumentation provided by the huge ensemble on stage. Keyboard player and vocalist Natasha Yanchuk is an incredible performer, with meandering yet decisive piano melodies that never end up quite where you’d expect. When Yanchuk and Lightburn harmonize, it comes with the poise and grace that can only come with intense familiarity, which makes sense when you consider the pair have been married for the majority of their decades-long working relationship.
Off-kilter arrangements, perplexing, minimalist lead guitar, and immaculate drumming meant the core five-piece was a smash-hit success. While the supporting players certainly elevated these arrangements at times, I found myself wishing The Dears would do more with their fleet of musicians—particularly the brass, who seemed to stand there swaying for most of the set, getting one or two shoehorned phrases of playing time for every three songs The Dears played. This was my only real complaint for The Dears. While the strings add beautiful depth and texture to the orchestral pop effects of The Dears, to elevate this iconic album, I found myself wanting more space carved away for the horns and strings, incorporating them into the arrangements rather than relegating them to the sidelines.
With all that said, it was an invigorating show by The Dears, and Lightburn and his army of musicians left nothing behind on the stage. The crowd found their performance sensational—including Lightburn’s mom, who watched from the VIP balcony beaming and singing every word. The Dears might not be exactly to my taste, but their passion is undeniable and made them a pleasure to watch on the final evening of POP Montreal.
Photos by Stephan Boissonneault
