Dearly Beloved

From the moment of inception in 2006, Dearly Beloved were a band that had everything going for them, mostly because of their Toronto indie scene pedigree. Yet, in some ways, they struggled out of the gate when debut album You Are The Jaguar became a protracted meditation on the death of group founder Rob Higgins' father. Now, after exorcising some demons with their hit-and-run 2008 EP, Repo REPO Repo, Higgins and his principal partner, vocalist Niva Chow, are coming on strong with Make It Bleed. With a sound that simultaneously gives nods to Higgins' Can-Rock past with Change Of Heart and Rocket Science, and the current alt-rock auteurism professed by Jack White and Josh Homme, Make It Bleed firmly captures all of Dearly Beloved's initial promise. The ear-grabber is once again Higgins' bass playing. It's no secret anymore that his uncle is Rush's Geddy Lee, and Higgins has inherited a similar style that deftly straddles the line between melodic flourishes and solid grooves. Flexing their sonic muscles as a band certainly takes precedence on tracks such as "Move On," "Candy Coated" and "Dress It Up," and in terms of swagger, they are easily in the same league as Danko Jones or Eagles of Death Metal. But what Make It Bleed shows is Dearly Beloved taking a big step forward on all fronts.