No Cities Left
| No Cities Left | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 15, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | April 2002–2003 | |||
| Genres | Indie rock, baroque pop | |||
| Length | 62:51 | |||
| Label | MapleMusic Recordings | |||
| Producer | Murray Lightburn | |||
| The Dears chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from No Cities Left | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 US release cover | ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10 |
| The Guardian | |
| Drowned in Sound | 7/10 |
| The A.V. Club | C+ |
No Cities Left is the second album by Canadian band The Dears, released in 2003 on MapleMusic Recordings. The album features fellow Canadian indie-rocker Sam Roberts playing violin on "Never Destroy Us".
Track listing
All songs written by Murray Lightburn.
- "We Can Have It" – 5:42
- "Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe?" – 3:41
- "Lost in the Plot" – 4:48
- "The Second Part" – 5:42
- "Don't Lose the Faith" – 3:10
- "Expect the Worst/'Cos She's a Tourist" – 7:52
- "Pinned Together, Falling Apart" – 6:01
- "Never Destroy Us" – 4:29
- "Warm and Sunny Days" – 5:47
- "22: The Death of All the Romance" – 5:56
- "Postcard from Purgatory" – 7:57
- "No Cities Left" – 5:23
"Don't Lose the Faith" was omitted from the original American release.
Re-releases
The 2005 re-release of No Cities Left included "Don't Lose the Faith" and also the content of their EP Protest.
In 2024, a 20th anniversary edition of the album was released, featuring six extra tracks of demos and acoustic versions. The reissue was promoted in part with a series of full-album concerts in Montreal, Toronto, and Hamilton. During the Montreal show at the Rialto Theatre, Murray Lightburn was spontaneously moved to tell the audience that life—despite its hardships—is fundamentally beautiful. After he asked the crowd to chant "Life is beautiful!" back to him three times, the moment inspired the title and themes of the band's 2025 album, Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful!
Videos
Videos were released for "Lost in the Plot" and "22: The Death of All the Romance".
Personnel
- Murray Lightburn - Lead and background vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, Fender Rhodes, piano, melodica, midi programming, tambourine, maracas, handclaps
- Natalia Yanchak - NordElectro organ and clavinet, piano, synthesizers, Fender Rhodes, lead and background vocals, handclaps
- Martin Pelland - Bass guitar, background vocals, handclaps
- George Donoso III - Drums, background vocals, handclaps
- Valerie Jodoin-Keaton - background vocals, handclaps
- Sam Roberts - Violin
- Heather Schnarr - Violin
- Matthew Perrin - Double Bass
- Josh Fuhrman - Tenor Saxophone, baritone saxophone
- Brigitte Mayes - Cello, synthesizers, Fender Rhodes, flute, background vocals, handclaps
- The Brebeuf Brass : Matthew Watkins (trumpet), Chris Seligman (French horn) and Evan Cranley (Euphonium, trombone)
References
- ↑ "No Cities Left by The Dears". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ↑ Monger, James Christopher. No Cities Left at AllMusic
- ↑ Abebe, Nitsuh (July 10, 2003). "No Cities Left". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ↑ Simpson, Dave (9 December 2004). "The Dears, No Cities Left – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ↑ Farley, Andrew (September 21, 2004). "The Dears – No Cities Left". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 28 January 2026.[dead link]
- ↑ Modell, Josh (January 3, 2005). "The Dears: No Cities Left". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ↑ Megan Lapierre, "The Dears Reissue 'No Cities Left' for 20th Anniversary, Sign to Outside Music". Exclaim!, August 14, 2024.
- ↑ Dave MacIntyre, "The Dears go all in on their new album Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful!". Cult MTL, November 20, 2025.
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