New Music: Dear Boy – Now More Than Ever

Dear Boy approached their sophomore album, Celebrator, in a different way to previous releases and recorded it in just two weeks.

The band recorded it live, and that sense of the spontaneous, of a song feeling natural and joyous, makes tracks like Now More Than Ever so special and – to chime in on the name of the album – celebratory. It does have a strong 90s influence, skirting around Britpop and shoegaze, but fitting them within the Dear Boy sound.

I’ve seen goodbyes before
The ones that change your mind
Wrong life to leave behind
If I can lose myself
To somebody else
I’ll have something to find

There are passages that consist of just vocals and guitar, grunge-like in their honesty, making you feel this is one of a host of moments for the band when everything just clicks into place at the most perfect time when laying down the LP.

You’ll believe in Now More Than Ever and Celebrator, mainly because they’re great rock, but also because the love and belief the band have in them is obvious and infectious.

“No More Than Ever was the last song written for the album,” says Dear Boy’s Ben Grey. “Austin brought the music in two days before recording. I finished the lyrics minutes before the plane landed in New York.”

“And it’s maybe my favorite song on the record. Isn’t that always the way? It’s a song about time. And how sweet life can be when you bend it to your will.”

Talking about Celebrator, the band reveals, “We made this album to remember why we do this in the first place. Because we love it. We adore each other. Joy. Connection. Heartbreak. Celebration. We’re not interested in anything other than that.”

Celebrator is out now via Last Gang Records in digital and vinyl formats. You can pick it up on Bandcamp – for streaming options and details of upcoming live events, follow Dear Boy on Instagram or Facebook.

Header photo by Jaxon Whittington