Dear and the Headlights - Small Steps, Heavy Hooves

LABEL:

Equal Vision

GENRE:

Indie Rock

RELEASE:

February 6, 2007

LENGTH:

53 min 11 sec

RATING:

Last year, I heard the song "It's Getting Easy" by Dear and the Headlights on their MySpace page and immediately decided that Small Steps, Heavy Hooves was going to be one of the most highly anticipated releases for me in 2007. Two seasons later, I am still listening to it very frequently and I am surprised at how this amazing band seemed to come out of nowhere. Then again, it's not too surprising, because Equal Vision Records has been releasing some of my favorite records over the last few years. Many mainstream listeners might not see Dear and the Headlights as much more than a generic indie-rock band, although it could easily enjoyed by people who like bands like The Killers and Coldplay (thankfully, I am not one them).

Some of the tracks are rather upbeat, like "Skinned Knees and Gapped Teeth," which is happily reminiscent of nearly universal childhood experiences, even for those who didn't have a glorious youth, and "I Just Do," which shows just how nerdy people can be when they're in love. Some of my favorite tracks are more poetic and somber, like "Run In The Front," "Paper Bag" and "Midwestern Dirt." The arguably catchiest song are "Sweet Talk," for which a video was produced, and the aforementioned "It's Getting Easy," although it's difficult to find one that can't get stuck in your head. The exception, of course, might be some of some of the slower songs if you're the kind of person who prefers a faster pace. There are some moments that seem to drag, and while they usually don't last too long, you might catch yourself wanting to skip a track halfway through if you don't get hooked on the repetitions.

Small Steps, Heavy Hooves set a dangerous precedent for the year in music because it came out in February and in my opinion, it left me wondering if it wouldn't still be my favorite by the time December rolled around. Much to my relief, there have been several strong contenders since then, so I feel better about enjoying an early release so much. Despite its flaws, there aren't any songs on this album that I dislike, so it's hard not to give it a perfect rating. It's not often that an album has such poetic foundations when slow-paced, yet makes me legitimately want to dance without feeling like I would be doing it mindlessly, and that's why Small Steps, Heavy Hooves is easily one of my favorite indie rock albums.