Tuesday Releases: Embracing The Dears

04/14/03 2:00pm

In the mid-'90s, a good friend of mine coined the phrase "smoking and Slowdive." It referred to lounging around, feeling angst-ridden, smoking cigarettes and listening to music as overwhelming and emotional as Slowdive.

This is something to do when pining over an unrequited crush, getting over a lost love or just when you're feeling the need to swoon. Now, I've never been a smoker, but I understand this activity pretty well and it's a rare record that prompts this kind of behaviour. Now, I know there will be some people that disagree, but this week, there's just such an album. The Dears' No Cities Left is an epic recording that grabs you by the heart and forces you to embrace it. Throughout it, singer Murray Lightburn captivates, but it's his duet with keyboard player Natalia Yanchak that really does it. The fact that this song is called "22: The Death Of All The Romance" should say it all.

Another album for lovers of the wall of sound, Spiritualized's The Complete Works Vol. 1 takes you on a brief tour of their work, including multiple renditions of songs like "Feel So Sad" and "I Want You." It's a two-CD set that includes a bunch of stuff that hasn't been available for quite some time, plus the packaging is pretty lovely.

For a taste of garage rock, check out The Caesars' 39 Minutes Of Bliss. It's a short blast of dirty, guitar-based rock by this band of Swedish cool cats. This band may not be a familiar name to most of you, but they've been around long enough to know who Billy Childish is. Heck, they probably even own Syndicate Of Sound albums. This is the real deal.

As the second series of American Idol nears its end, you may be left wondering, "Whatever happened to the other American Idol, Kelly Clarkson?" Wonder no more, TV watcher. Ms. Clarkson's debut album, Thankful, hits stores tomorrow. Word on the street is that it's not that bad. We'll find out what the instant star is all about tomorrow.

Finally, Pete Yorn's sophomore effort, Day I Forgot, hits stores tomorrow. Now, it's the opinion of a few of us that Yorn's best song was his cover of The Smiths' "Panic," but others around here like him quite a bit. Still others find him quite engaging. Can he repeat the success he found with Musicforthemorningafter? Will he live up to his status as the Next Big Thing? Only time will tell.