Written by Sandeep Sehbi

Canada’s The Dears has a new record out soon and ‘Of Fisticuffs’ landed on our ‘desk’ at Tuned Up. Here’s a single review.

I’m stoked to see The Dears pop up on Tuned Up’s radar. I’ve been listening to The Dears for years, they’ve got some great singles and some awesome albums. They’re from Montreal, Quebec [Canada] and have been active since 1995! We received the single from Dangerbird Records out of Los Angeles California. Label alumni include Hot Hot Heat, Beady Eye, Silversun Pickups and more! Their last album ‘Degeneration Street’ came out in 2011 so it’s been awhile!

I listened through this song a number of times, analyzing production, lyricism, and the song as a whole.

The song starts with a short clip of what sounds like a jam. After a brief pause, it gets right to it. Starting with a chorus of ‘oo’s. Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak then launch into the first refrain. The line ‘Indeed I’ve had enough of fisticuffs / Don’t you know that I want the simple stuff.’ The production reminds me of a few things: It’s definitely got The Dears ‘sound’ as foundation, with a few tweaks. The Dears ‘sound’ in this case means jangly guitars, driven drums and a bit of Paul McCartney-esque bass. And harmonies between Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak.

‘Indeed I’ve had enough of fisticuffs / Don’t You Know that I want the Simple Stuff’

This song is about trying to elevate yourself out of cycles of violence and trying to instead connect with ‘the simple stuff’  and to ‘prove [their] love’. Perhaps even like a reference to Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak’s long-lived marriage. As sort of a counterpoint to a vague modern day strife. To be fair, this song isn’t so much about specifics, as it is about relatable feelings. Perhaps people who don’t have the right words, but do have sincerity.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/321098078″ /]