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Dear and the Headlights
Small Steps, Heavy Hooves
Equal Vision Records
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 Just two years ago, Dear and the Headlights essentially consisted of three guys who had no rhythm section, no band name, and no shows under their belt. What they did have, though, were a whole bunch of songs. In those two years, they’ve filled out their lineup, recorded an album, signed to Equal Vision Records, and brought some of those songs to the attention of a new set of listeners, many of whom are wondering if this band was somehow imported straight from the mid-80s indie boom.
Small Steps, Heavy Hooves is the result of a lot of hard work put in by a lot of different people. Ian Metzger (vocals/guitar), Joel Marquard (vocals/guitar/keys), and PJ Waxman (vocals/guitar) were the aforementioned three bass-and-drum-less trio that, over the course of several years playing together, put together some unique, quirky indie songs that don‘t quite settle into one mold. Chuckie Duff, now the band’s bassist, produced the band’s original demo and financed the record, and from reading most bios and reviews of the band, sounds like he was the kick in the ass the band needed. Mark Kulvinskas is the drummer that Duff found to join the band just before it’s first show, and Bob Hoag is the producer that provided the band just enough guidance without intruding upon a raw, organic sound that carries the band. | A suspicious start introduces Dear and the Headlights. If you weren’t aware of what the band did, and simply picked up the record after seeing the Equal Vision Records logo, you might be surprised to hear an acoustic guitar begin “Oh No!“ Fear not; this is no acoustic album. Though this one remains quiet for the first half of the song, it proves itself diverse. It’s full of noodley, alt-country-esque guitars, and provides a sampling of what main vocalist Metzger is capable of.
“Sweet Talk” picks the ball up from “Oh No!” and runs with it. This song illustrates exactly DATH proves they’re good at throughout the rest of the record. The band takes a pretty general pop/rock formula, and executes it perfectly. They obviously have a solid melodic and harmonic foundation, as they consistently execute intermingling guitar lead lines and smart vocal harmonies.
It’s not till the middle of the album, though, that Dear and the Headlights really show what they can do. “It’s Getting Easy” produces the most memorable moment of the album, as a hokey piano leads the band in a shout chorus proclaiming the song’s title. Two tracks later “Skinned Knees and Gapped Teeth” is the reminiscent song that every band should write, this one filled with allusions to childhood in the late 80s and early 90s (Teddy Ruxpin, Guns N’ Roses, Thundercats). Next, “Run In Front” proves to be the most uplifting of the 13 tracks. The driving force behind the majority of the songs on Small Steps is the voice of Metzger. At no point on the record is Metzger bashful. His voice stretches across a fairly extensive range, at times a high-pitched wail (think Pablo Honey-era Thom Yorke), dips down to a low, borderline sneaky level (like Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock does on occasion), but tends to be generally mid-range heavy and warbly (a la Conor Oberst). While there’s no doubting the band’s instrumental merits, Metzger really puts them over the top.
Though it gets started a bit slowly, Small Steps and Heavy Hooves is the type of record that picks up steam and really sucks listeners in. Though at first they may seem to be a typically arranged pop/rock band, Dear and the Headlights prove themselves to be a creative, daring group of musicians throughout the record. It’s that bravado that gives them a chance to swim in a sea of indie-rock god wannabes. Check them out at myspace.com/dearandtheheadlights |
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