Dear and the Headlights   

Drunk Like Bible Times

Equal Vision Records

 
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For some musicians, being in a band isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. For one Arizona quintet, making music is about nothing other than doing the one thing they all love to do.  Although Dear and the Headlights struggled for years to find the right bassist and drummer to round out the band’s skeleton members, once they finally came together, they found that the hardest part was over.

After years of playing the same few songs over and over again, the band finally made it into the studio to record. What resulted from 2007’s Small Steps, Heavy Hooves was an album full of songs that were inaccurate representations of who DATH was in the present.  Members quickly fixed that problem by working to create a new record that would reflect their matured style.

Drunk Like Bible Times howls with originality and substance in some places and falls comfortably into more mainstream melodies in others.  It’s not surprising to learn that these guys have toured with non-indie bands such as Paramore and Plain White T’s.  Their sound appeals to a broad audience and satisfies the musical palate of pretty much anyone who likes rock.

“Try” is a quiet but intense indie-pop ballad that wails with lyrical poetry while “Willetta” is the kind of song you curl up in bed and cry along to. The melancholy whispering of the guitar and the gentle plunk of the piano keys compliment Ian Metzger’s voice. It reverberates intensely with the right combination of anguish and soul.  “Willetta” may show DATH’s ability to make a pretty song, but other songs such as “Now It’s Over” prove that they are just as capable of creating a fun, upbeat dance tune.

Drunk Like Bible Times may wander a little randomly from song to song, but, overall, the album is an excellent representation of a band whose members had fought hard to quiet their souls and make the music they meant to create all along.

– Brigitte B. Zabak