WERS 88.9 fm - Album Review: The Dear Abbeys - Sincerely, Lost in Boston

The Dear Abbey’s, Boston University’s “premier all-male” Acapella group, have been providing background music to the bustle of Boston since 1992.  But it seems that after five studio albums, they still don’t know their way around.  Sincerely, Lost in Boston, the group’s sixth album, kicks off listener’s musical journey with a cover of U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name.”  The track begins with soft and subtle sounds of expectation that build up to a beat that drives the rest of the album forward.  The Dear Abbeys lead listeners to covers of Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long,” for a flavor of Boston’s night life, and of Ben Folds’ “Jesusland” with harmonies that replicate the speculative stroll through the secret places of the mind.  Their selection of pop music takes a turn toward techno with beat-boxing vocals that set their music on fire like the lights of cars and buildings that illuminate the city's sky line.

After hopping from street corner to street corner in Boston, The Dear Abbeys sung their way into Fenway Park, performing the national anthem for Red Sox games.  They leaped with their vocal ranges over the state's lines all the way to, most recently, Alaska and the San Francisco Bay area, where they held workshops for public school choir programs.

On the way, The Dear Abbeys have picked up national recognition, finishing first place in the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella, a prestigious tournament for collegiate a capella groups and are currently nominated for four Contemporary A Capella Society Awards.

www.dearabbeys.com

-Claire Burgner