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Dear’s third album proves a wealth of open-window micro pop fit for summer gusts and unexpected flints of lightning.
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It’s a bold, ambitious statement from a techno producer keen to expand his range watch this space.
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Throughout much of Asa Breed, Dear achieves a serendipitous balance between the uplifting and the eerie, the hummable and the hypnotic, the tuneful and the texturally adventurous.
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Dear puts his imprint on a variety of styles: a clip-clopping Spaghetti Western feel on 'Fleece on Brain,' poppy minimalist techno on 'Neighborhoods,' robo-funk on 'Shy,' gleaming New Wave on 'Pom Pom'--all rendered cohesive by elegant, immersive production.
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As producer, songwriter and persona, Dear has come into his own with Asa Breed, a bootstrapping album that not only reveals the miles walked, but an ambitious road map ahead.
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At times, lyrics seem a bit too obvious, but its usually at these points that Dear also pushes his songs into more over-the-top mode, making them feel a bit more sarcastic at the same time.
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Entertainment WeeklyDear joyously defies categorization. [15 Jun 2007, p.77]
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SpinDear infuses the snapping, beeping compositions of his second album with a sincere yearn, broadening the genre in the process. [Jul 2007, p.96]
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A pop album that comes giddy with detailed digital patterns,
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Much of Asa Breed sounds like TV On The Radio with more exacting production and a more pensive disposition.
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A little exposure to his constantly morphing flat baritone goes a long way.
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UncutAs spirited as this effort is, there's not much here to worry James Murphy. [Jul 2007, p.99]
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Dear's prostrate baritone works well when combined with his spare synthetic production.
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Asa Breed feels too lightweight to recommend without caution.
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Under The RadarThe minimal or micro house found on Asa Breed seems narrowly focused to appeal to a very specialized audience. [Summer 2007, p.87]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 8 out of 9
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Mixed: 0 out of 9
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Negative: 1 out of 9
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[Anonymous]Jul 12, 2007"Deserter" is the best song of 2007. And the rest of the album's good too.