MIGRANT

The Dear Hunter were formed out of the ashes of post-hardcore band The Receiving End Of Sirens in around 2005, with vocalist Casey Crescenzo looking to create a more conceptual and progressive rock based band. Crescenzo came up with the 6-album concept of the Dear Hunter, and completed three of the six albums before getting bored. And after 2011's 36-song "The Color Spectrum", which entitled of 9 four-song EPs on each of the colours, The Dear Hunter have released their first album without a concept, "Migrant"

Although I do love a good concept to keep an album together, I feel that Casey and his men were leaning on it a bit too much, and this album definitely shows them stretching lyrically and musically. Although the early Dear Hunter releases certainly dwelled on the progressive and alternative scenes, "Migrant" is a straight-up indie rock record, and one of the best in recent years. Taking influence from the orchestral and chamber indie of Sufjan Stevens and Fleet Foxes, Crescenzo has created a wonderful standalone record, with as many wonderful pop hooks as progressive touches that gained him a following in the first place.

Opening single "Whisper" is a shoe-in for one of the top songs for 2013, with the sort of delightful chorus that I'd love to hear grace modern radio waves, if only they paid attention to the music scene. This entire album reeks positive energy, in fact. Album opener "Bring You Down" is one of the best feel-good songs I've heard, and the orchestral backing influenced by the aforementioned Sufjan Stevens throughout the album really works toward The Dear Hunter's newer, more uplifting style.