Love it or hate it,
the Dear Hunter
's
Act II: The Meaning of, And All Things Regarding, Ms. Leading
is certainly a grandiose project filled with ambition. The two act, isolation-themed
rock
opera
is filled with intricate instrumentation and bipolar change-ups that recall
Mr. Bungle
California
or
Mars Volta
De-Loused in the Comatorium
with aspects of
Sufjan Stevens
'
Illinoise
. The production is phenomenal, and the multi-layered songs feature unexpected dynamic changes, with parts dropping in and out with ease like a camera cutting from one scene to another. Soundscapes change drastically several times within a single number, turning from a guitar-based
prog rock
blazer to gritty
Dixieland
, then switching over to a cello and harp concerto.
"Smiling Swine"
flips nimbly between a
Queens of the Stone Age
fill to a peppy
Spoon
bit and then into a symphonic reverberated
Beach Boys
bridge. It's a dizzying experience, and enough to hold the attention of even the most hyperactive mind, even when the songs reach nine-and-a-half minutes long. However, the downside is that it might take some time to get past the vocals, which sometimes feel forced and whiney with a nasally
pop-punk
tinge in the vain of
Fall Out Boy
. Worse yet, the lyrical content is sometimes sappy and reads like it came directly from the pages of an
emo
teen's journal ("Darkness, hesitation, I fell into her arms/Breathe in, this is amazing/Breathe out, this is amazing/She removed her clothes and all of the world shined.") Luckily, with the scope of the symphonic and dramatic backdrop, the words feel deeper and more meaningful or are often easily ignored. Jam-packed with musical ideas and mood shifts, this disc becomes increasingly rewarding after repeated listens and should especially appeal to aspiring producers and musicians. ~ Jason Lymangrover