Track Listing

1. The Death and the Berth
2. The Procession
3. The Lake and the River
4. The Oracles on the Delphi Express
5. The Church and The Dime
6. The Bitter Suite 1 and 2: Meeting Ms. Leading and Through the Dime
7. The Bitter Suite 3: Embrace
8. Smiling Swine
9. Evicted
10. Blood of the Rose
11. Red Hands
12. Where the Road Parts
13. Dear Ms. Leading
14. Black Sandy Beaches
15. Vital Vessals Vindicate

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13029 in Music
• Released on: 2007-05-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Album Description
Following the end of his tenure as guitarist, vocalist, and effects operator for The Receiving End Of Sirens in May of 2006, Casey Crescenzo began to write, record, and compile what would become "Act I: The Lake South, The River North" - his debut EP. Now with a fully formed band, The Dear Hunter returns with this dynamic full-length, written, produced, and orchestrated by Crescenzo. "It's not every day a band comes along who can easily be compared to acts like Panic! At The Disco, Muse, and Sufjan Stevens, but The Dear Hunter can - and then some" - Alternative Press.

Customer Reviews

This Band Can Do No Wrong, You MUST Listen To This Album
It is so very rare to find a band who, no matter what you listen to, demands respect and at least a polite listen. The Dear Hunter is such a band. Started as the side project of Casey from The Recieving End Of Sirens, The Dear Hunter allowed him to play songs that didn't quite fit their "controlled chaos" sound. The result was two of the most experimental and musically brilliant rock albums created in a very long time (Dear Ms. Leading, and this albums predicessor Act I). This album is a continuation of his musical masterpiece, crossing all generes into such priviously unmixed genres as Ragtime, Jazz, Lounge, Swing, Classical, Latin, and Progressive Rock. Add that kind of musical tallent to Casey's incredible vocals and storyline lyrics and you have Act II. Definately one of the best albums of this year, if not the best. A flawlessly crafted musical experiance, and a must listen for anyone who considers themselves a music fan.

Genre-tripping Masterpiece
Well, what have we here? A brilliantly realized album that successfully cross-pollinates many genres of music to form an original hybrid. The mad genius behind this band is the ex-singer and multi-instrumentalist of "The Receiving End of Sirens", which showed much creativity in their debut CD, but I believe this is a more fully realized work, and a better showcase for Casey's unparalleled talents. The CD kicks off with a short symphonic intro, then blasts into a heart-stomping rocker with "The Procession". "The Lake and the River" boasts some awesome collaborative choruses, with layered vocals and an ending that sounds like a group of convicts singing about their hardships on a chain-gang, complete with locomotive sounds and heavily-strummed slide guitar. This segues into "The Oracles on the Delphi Express", which is a ragtime number that has a nifty electric guitar ditty in the middle that fits perfectly with the song. "The Bitter Suite" is an emotional, complex cut with keyboards, intense percussion, and a jazzy piano breakdown that charges into a swaggering, multi-layered "swing" vocal section with stealthy piano/guitar interplay in the background. My favorite songs are probably "Smiling Swine" and "Evicted", which are both extremely catchy and feature excellent vocals and harmonies. "Smiling Swine" starts with a propulsive piano melody that would sound at home in a jazz/bluegrass festival. "Blood of the Rose" is a minimalist Spanish number with acoustic guitar that reminds me of something you'd hear during a tragic play about Zorro's untimely death. The rest of the songs are great, but I love "Red Hands", which is pure pop/rock euphoria, and includes superb melodies with an emotional chorus pleading, "Now my darling put your clothes back on". This to me is my favorite type of album, with experimentation that works and an ability to incorporate classic styles of music into an integrated whole with its own identity. It is inspired, daring, and breathtaking.

If I was a writer/producer, I would want to make a movie out of this elaborate concept album.
I've always enjoyed rock operas, but this is one of my favorites so far. I love the music and how it spans across many genres: Rock, Jazz, Blues, Ragtime, Progressive, Experimental, and other little excerpts that will make you want to rewind mid-track. This will undoubtedly be one of my favorite albums of 2007. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys new and unique music.