What I can say in full confidence about Grizzly Bear, is that the members of this powerhouse have always put together a sound that is…well… pensive to say the least. It’s very hard to describe the band; most who follow them say they hold an incredible knack to move your emotions; for those lonely times, for the brooding times, and for the just plain agreeable times. The foursome holds intricacy, quality, and convolution. The music, especially off of their newest studio album Shields, sounds more like a six- piece orchestra. It holds more pop like pieces than say, Yellow House, which, as an understatement, changed my whole way of assessment when it comes to Grizzly Bear… and music in general. It is absolutely astounding stuff.
I’m not sure where Shields quite yet falls in my ranking. Lofty of course, but Veckatimest still stands as my most beloved. The otherworldly sensitivity Foreground brings to me is breathtaking. That’s exactly what Grizzly Bear does to a person; it makes you incredibly sensitive to the world. What an accomplishment. If we are going to mention Foreground, we have to mention the just as popular Two Weeks. Complete opposite than the ominous piano of the former, this melody gives a more jocular quality to the addressees.
The newest album however is a diary of solitude and melancholy. The instrumental ferocity Chris Bear brings to the table in this album make the beautiful uncertainty of the arrangement settle within you, deep, deep within you. The unsettled feelings conjured by the shaky vocals of Edward Droste and Daniel Rossen are hypnotizing.
“And I live to see your face and I hate to see you go but I know no other way.” Talk about finding significance in lyrical content. And to be honest, I’ve never needed to find significance in my music quite as bad as I do these days. A break up after a long-term relationship will leave holes inside you sometimes only music can fill.
It’s all about cravings. A craving for something that isn’t yours, or once was but isn’t anymore; letting a good relationship go, and not being able to get it out of your head, to move on. Especially in gun-shy…“And when I move my face left you’re always standing there, a shadow I can’t see.” It’s a ghost from your past that won’t let your mind steady. Being out of control, especially of your emotions is a big theme of Grizzly Bear.
Oh, they’ll keep stacking up their building blocks of epic-ness, just wait and see. The handcrafted sound is a pleasant break in a world of digitally constructed beats and bass lines. In a busy and impatient world, the soothing sound of Grizzly Bear will take you home.