The Dead Will Walk, Dear
The Dead Will Walk, Dear, by The National Lights, has singer/songwriters Jacob Thomas Berns and Ernest Christian Kiehne dramatizing about death, but the stand out guitar play and harmonious melodies could make listeners neglect the dark words of the album.
"Better For It, Kid" has caliginous acoustic guitar work, and the somber vocalist reveals his feelings toward a girl during the afterglow of love and the pang of disappointment. You can hear the sentiment in his voice as he exclaims such lyrics as, "Let me cover you up in my button flannel shirt/Don't make me say I'm sorry cuz in my heart I meant no harm. I'll help you sit up in our bed." One can envision the vocalist penning this track as he remembers his romantic blunder and tries to rectify it through song.
"Mess Around" has a totally different theme in its lyrics. This song is about infidelity and has impetuous acoustic guitar which makes for a more hurried track. It talks about a female and how the vocalist is sure she is being faithful to him and him alone, with lyrics such as, "I guess that's fine you won't mess around, yeah I guess that's fine, mess around. To make me smile just you wait and see...Before your hair can grow, grow out long, long like fingernails pushin' down. Turn your head around."
The title track has deep, low, rhythmic acoustic guitar chords and what sounds like keyboard play for a darker tone than the other tracks. It portrays murky imagery and it hints about a one-night stand, with lines like, "I'm not your answer I was needed your body/Buried in my love/That got me to thinkin' nobody goes home."
"O, Ohio" is a haunting track with harmonizing from Sonya Cotton to lighten the mood just a sliver. It's a song that could be in a scene in a movie where the lead character is driving along contemplating his or her deeds and whether or not he or she chose the correct course of action, with lyrics such as, "Make your business known. And there ain't no house with no name on the front porch oohh we took it down. You, your Mother's boy. But a girl can't stay a girl for too long. But what you want with me now so far you've done just fine."
The National Lights' The Dead Will Walk, Dear is an insightful glance into the subconscious of the band, and even though many of the songs harbor a baneful connotation, the thoughtful instrument play overshadows the message and makes for an enjoyable album to listen to.