Album Review: Dearly Beloved – Times Square Discount (Self Released)

Dearly Beloved will release their new album Times Square Discount on October 25th 2019 via Future Shock Records. The Toronto outfit is the creative braintrust of vocalist/bassist Rob Higgins and vocalist/percussionist/Theremin player Niva Chow and the new album features Dimitri Coats of OFF! on guitar, James Di Salvio of Bran Van 3000 and M83 conscript Jordan Lawlor.

Times Square Discount is, as Higgins puts it, “a rabbit-hole record,” and one partially born of “bingeing on Kubrick and drugs” and ruminating upon such fancies as “How do we make Kubrick an album?” and “How do you make an album version of The Shining?” in the van long enough for it to set in that the band’s thirst for weird and/or forbidden knowledge and collective capacity for conducting on-site empirical research could be put to far better use in each of the cities that it visits than simply bingeing on Kubrick and drugs in a van.

The upbeat rhythm and riffs of Race to Bottom won’t quite prepare you for the unique oddity that is Times Square Discount and Dearly Beloved. At their core, they’re a rock band but with a psychedelic edge and a hearty helping of annoyance.

After a very groovy and catchy start, the drug trip sound of the band comes out to play with Vacation, LSD and Close Encounters. Each one signifying a different stage of a trip. Warped and confounding but thrilling.

Perhaps the oddities might be too much for some though especially once the eerie and colourful The Conqueror is reached. There is just no getting a handle on what is going to come next with this band and that can make for a disconcerting listen.

The fuzziness and off-kilter sound of Fuck the Banks is maddening (but really catchy). New Versus has plenty of fire and bounce amongst its wacky rhythm. Dog Food Thumbs sees Dearly Beloved take a step down to deliver a punchy and more straight-forward rock number. Before Al P gets the dance floor absolutely shaking with sweat and intensity.

The finale of Super Hero is a relief. Not because the album is bad or anything but rather the madness is almost too much too bear. Hold on though because this finale is the strangest of the lot. Take that for it is when you compare it to the rest.

Dearly Beloved – Times Square Discount Full Track Listing:

1. Race To The Bottom
2. Vacation
3. LSD
4. Close Encounters
5. The Conqueror
6. Fuck the Banks
7. New Versus
8. Dog Food Thumbs
9. Al P
10. Super Hero

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