Unlike the tired post-grunge scritch-scratch of more commercial Canadian rock, Montreal’s The Dears begin their Orchestral Pop Noir Romantique with a bang. The six-piece band prefers otherworldly soundscapes consistent with British acts like Radiohead and Coldplay. The first track pleads for “Heathrow or Deathrow,” smoothly leading into the concept behind the album: escaping the loneliness of city life. Murray Lightburn’s throaty vocals sound like another instrument and don’t get drowned out by the band’s rich music. Together they create something beautiful and hopeful, like a wildflower growing out of a crack in the pavement.