For a group that went on hiatus almost directly after the release of their debut full-length, Believing in Ghosts, it's unexpected that Dearly Departed would be back so soon with thirteen (twelve not counting "The Masquerade") new songs to gift onto the music landscape. After all, it has barely been three years. Keep in mind that What Awaits Us comes in the midst of several member changes and losing One Day Savior as a label. Whether already on the mixing board or not, one has to wonder when the group had any time to record these songs, much less good tunes that show considerable progression of Dearly Departed's art.
Regardless, as common rule is expected, talent and ambition always sway any would-be turmoil. This new album will be a treasure to new discoveries while not disappointing fans that have been with these Long Islanders from the beginning.
Aside from being a record that many would not have expected to be made, What Awaits Us brings with it drastic changes in the band's overall sound. Completely non-existent are the ambient samples and soundscapes that served as condiments to the previous LP. These elements were used to set a noodling, plodding pace that accentuated soft crooning and thin-skinned breakouts to the tune of a Dredg rhythm. What the new album showcases is more viscera in its overall approach, with the band relying on a far more brazen hypothesis. As evidenced by tracks such as "Off With Her Head," "Last Stop Willoughby," and "Araby," vocalist Mike Millamo screams, shouts, and skewers the writing quite a bit more and allows his frustrations and anxieties prime the rest of band into a hypersensitive indie palette that's somehow as gentle as it is aurally jagged.
Some of this newfound rawness may not entirely be intentional, which forces a mention of the album's one solitary flaw. What could possibly be due to the fallout of losing the few pennies the previous label was sending the band's way, What Awaits Us leaves much to be desired in the production department. One could go so far as to say that it sounds as if it was mixed on an old school tape deck. Now that's fine and dandy if it's a garage or noise-rock sound that's being attempted, but this approach hinders a lot of the chirpy, tonal guitar work ushered by Jeff Bodzer and Jonathan Cox. To fully appreciate some of the more intricate arrangements, the best headphones money can buy are needed to cut through the fuzzed out and airy feedback.
But who needs GGGarth, Ross Robinson, or David Bendeth on the other side of the glass? Severe overproduction is one of the major problems with rock music these days anyway. To contradict the prior mentioned, it's just as easy to say that Dearly Departed is all that much more brilliant for being able to create such entertaining songs despite being superficially stripped down to the point of feeling almost outdated.
In the end it's a bit of a seesaw situation. Even without the effects and gloss of their previous work, through simple sincerity the band manages to sound grander than they ever did. Yet, without that extra bit of clarity, What Awaits Us leaves behind the sensation of a sound theory just barely teetering on the outskirts of brilliance. Even though it's awesome right now, in a few years this composition will be topping the lists of various music magazines highlighting favorite indie albums that need to be remastered.
