The album continues and expands the psychedelic splendor of Grizzly Bear's sound, while at the same time pushing the band in new and different directions, probably due to the collaborative efforts of minimalist composer Nico Muhly (who also contributes vocals). A few tracks closely resemble last year's release from Daniel Rossen's other project, Department Of Eagles (see my best of 2008 list), as they have more propulsive rhythm that is common among the psych-folk scene nowadays (Dodos are the perfect example.) In tracks like "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait For The Others," they also capitalize more on a signature Grizzly Bear trait: the use of ghostly, choir-like background voices that harmonize with Rossen and Ed Droste, the other driving force behind the band. A change in song-writing is also present, as several tracks including opener "Southern Point" and "Ready, Able" have more complex structures than what we're used to, though the change is not necessarily an improvement, it just seems different. Apparently Victoria Legrand of Beach House also guests on this album, though I can't seem to figure out where (she's probably lurking in the background of "Two Weeks" or "Dory".) I guess that's just a testament to how seamless the album is, though, and I prefer how Grizzly Bear carefully integrates the individual elements to create something entirely different from its components rather than succumbing to a more gimmicky approach. Yellow House is one of my all-time favorite albums, and as such I am not quite ready to decide how I think Veckatimest compares, but the bottom line is that it's definitely an incredible album in its own right and was definitely worth the 3-year wait.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Veckatimest
I just recently got my hands (or ears?) on the latest effort from Brooklyn-based Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest (to be released May 26th, 2009). Named for the summer vacation spot in which it was written and recorded, the long-awaited follow-up to 2006's Yellow House has instantly placed among my list of favorites in 2009.
The album continues and expands the psychedelic splendor of Grizzly Bear's sound, while at the same time pushing the band in new and different directions, probably due to the collaborative efforts of minimalist composer Nico Muhly (who also contributes vocals). A few tracks closely resemble last year's release from Daniel Rossen's other project, Department Of Eagles (see my best of 2008 list), as they have more propulsive rhythm that is common among the psych-folk scene nowadays (Dodos are the perfect example.) In tracks like "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait For The Others," they also capitalize more on a signature Grizzly Bear trait: the use of ghostly, choir-like background voices that harmonize with Rossen and Ed Droste, the other driving force behind the band. A change in song-writing is also present, as several tracks including opener "Southern Point" and "Ready, Able" have more complex structures than what we're used to, though the change is not necessarily an improvement, it just seems different. Apparently Victoria Legrand of Beach House also guests on this album, though I can't seem to figure out where (she's probably lurking in the background of "Two Weeks" or "Dory".) I guess that's just a testament to how seamless the album is, though, and I prefer how Grizzly Bear carefully integrates the individual elements to create something entirely different from its components rather than succumbing to a more gimmicky approach. Yellow House is one of my all-time favorite albums, and as such I am not quite ready to decide how I think Veckatimest compares, but the bottom line is that it's definitely an incredible album in its own right and was definitely worth the 3-year wait.
The album continues and expands the psychedelic splendor of Grizzly Bear's sound, while at the same time pushing the band in new and different directions, probably due to the collaborative efforts of minimalist composer Nico Muhly (who also contributes vocals). A few tracks closely resemble last year's release from Daniel Rossen's other project, Department Of Eagles (see my best of 2008 list), as they have more propulsive rhythm that is common among the psych-folk scene nowadays (Dodos are the perfect example.) In tracks like "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait For The Others," they also capitalize more on a signature Grizzly Bear trait: the use of ghostly, choir-like background voices that harmonize with Rossen and Ed Droste, the other driving force behind the band. A change in song-writing is also present, as several tracks including opener "Southern Point" and "Ready, Able" have more complex structures than what we're used to, though the change is not necessarily an improvement, it just seems different. Apparently Victoria Legrand of Beach House also guests on this album, though I can't seem to figure out where (she's probably lurking in the background of "Two Weeks" or "Dory".) I guess that's just a testament to how seamless the album is, though, and I prefer how Grizzly Bear carefully integrates the individual elements to create something entirely different from its components rather than succumbing to a more gimmicky approach. Yellow House is one of my all-time favorite albums, and as such I am not quite ready to decide how I think Veckatimest compares, but the bottom line is that it's definitely an incredible album in its own right and was definitely worth the 3-year wait.
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