If there were lists of the best and worst grandiose rock bands of today, chances are Montreal’s The Dears would be close to the top of both. While their bombastic, Britpop-borrowing songs sometimes reach dizzying heights, their penchant for agonizing over every tiny detail and taking rock musicianship too seriously often zaps all the pep from their music. Considering Patrick Krief’s day job as The Dears’ guitarist, it’s genuinely surprising how understated his debut solo EP Take it or Leave is.
    Instead of the grandeur Dears fans are accustomed to, Kreif keeps things purposefully simple, sticking almost entirely to simple guitar progressions and laid-back rhythms. Though album opener “We’re All Whores” does a fine job recalling Bends-era Radiohead, the rest of Take it or Leave sets up camp in the familiar territory of early ’70s mid-tempo rock. In fact, Take it or Leave owes a great debt to John Lennon’s classic 1970 solo album, Plastic Ono Band. Kreif’s voice, the songs’ stripped-down presentation, and lyrics expounding the virtues of love are all tenderly plucked from the late Beatle’s most accomplished solo release.
    Take it or Leave isn’t groundbreaking stuff, but that’s the point. It’s a loose, lo-fi homage to the music Krief loves, and that’s exactly why it succeeds, albeit modestly. Considering the pomp of Krief’s main gig, an unassuming, modest success is a welcome change.