ACT III: LIFE AND DEATH

Like a readheaded beauty.

Ever since ELP filled concert halls and Pink Floyd played in underground clubs, long before I was even born, progressive rock has been the fierce protest wave against all the ordinary in music. In a way, an escape route from pop music patterns and and its plain mindset. Well, it had to get there somehow and I've always thought that only these first steps from '50s pop towards '60s psychedelic prog could and should be categorized as 'crossover' (because nowadays we've got alternative rock for that, haven't we). Well, in 2006 a crossover prog band showed us, that you can be crossover without being a copycat. Without being a failure on either side. Quite the opposite - you CAN have your own signature style and unique sound to please both progheads and wider audience. And suddenly, everyone were amazed.

In 2009, when The Dear Hunter's third album 'Act III' hit the stores, they needed no introduction. Casey Crescenzo's well-known compositions and amazing vocal capabilities once again escort us through yet another chapter of the adventure of The Dear Hunter, but

with a slightly new sound.

While it's predecessors Act I and II had strong The Mars Volta influences, Act III: Life and Death turns more light and elegant, still sophisticated and humorous, but notably more radio-friendly. Song lyrics and compositions paint an odd world full of people, whose life drama unrolls right under our eyes, with Act III as a tragicomic soundtrack to it all. Masterful use of cliche tunes from hints to cabaret, country and latin dance music spice up the whole mix of different genres on this album. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Pink Floyd, Bigelf and Frost* meet.

Very enjoyable use of stringed instruments, mad rock-orchestral compositions and adapting play style is probably what sets The Dear Hunter apart from other experimental rock bands. They exhibit fluent play both in Foo Fighters or Moon Safari tasting ballades (Saved, Son) and neo-proggish songs (The Thief). For this colourful audio experience there are

only good things to say.

To this day there is actually little consensus whether The Dear Hunter should be considered prog or alt rock, but one thing is for sure - the band has built a bridge across the 'ocean' separating prog and contemporary experimental rock, which wishes to be free of the bonds of '60s or '70s prog legacy.

The Dear Hunter is like a circle shaped block in a tetris game, like a redheaded beauty among blondes, like a pair of sneakers with wheels to roll around the shopping mall. Some perverse bit of you can't stop feeling you kind of missed it all along.