If you plan to catch Andrew Bird tomorrow night, I suggest getting there early enough to see Emil Svanängen performing as Loney, Dear. Emil’s latest release, Dear John, has been a grower for me and I’ve started to appreciate more of its nuance over the last several weeks.
Neither as twee (nor probably as interesting) as Of Montreal, whom Loney, Dear toured with last year, the two bands are still good points of comparison. Dear John blasts out of the gates with a couple of galloping numbers, “Airport Surroundings” and “Everything Turns to You,” and this is when Emil seems to compose his strongest tunes.
That said, a couple of slow-burners like “Harsh Words” and “Distant Lights” round out the album well. I suspect the production could have been a little more dynamic; most of Dear John seems to live in a sort of mid-range as the result of some kind of studio wash.
Loney, Dear opens for Andrew Bird, who is touring on Noble Beast. As with Bird’s two previous albums Armchair Apocrypha and The Mysterious Production of Eggs, I appreciate Noble Beast more than I really love it. I just can’t get over the whistling, I’ve tried.
Tomorrow’s show was moved at the last minute from Murray Theater to the regrettable In the Venue.
Dude, Andrew Bird is the best. Saw him at the Warfield (San Fran) in 2007 so if Lonely, Dear is good enough to open for AB, good enough for me. THX.