Album: Veckatimest
Artist: Grizzly Bear
Born: Brooklyn, New York
Released: May 2009
Genre: Baroque
The first gig I went to after starting a family was Grizzly Bear (memorably supported by Beach House) at London's Roundhouse in March 2010. The venue, the music, everything was perfect. By this point, the band were enjoying some renown thanks to the success of Veckatimest. Only two years previously, they only boasted a small, cult following; however, the chance to open for Radiohead on their 2008 North American tour, thanks to Jonny Greenwood's love of their music, proved to be Grizzly Bear's big break. After the tour, the group holed up in a house in Cape Cod and set about writing the songs for their third LP. My first encounter with their music was the Friend EP (2007), including a brilliant version of Little Brother, and this led me back to Yellow House (2006). Compared to that record's dark, introspective mood, Veckatimest is full of sunny harmonies and perfect pop moments. Many of the songs were developed as group collaborations, rather than arriving fully formed from each of the group members, and this gives the album an organic, improvised feel. Recorded in the Catskill Mountains, Veckatimest benefits from the input of composer Nico Muhly, who's responsible for the baroque strings and multi-layered songs. Daniel Rossen and Ed Droste shared their songwriting, with Rossen responsible for one of the record's highlights, While You Wait For The Others, and Droste conjuring up Veckatimest's most perfect pop moment, Two Weeks.
The vocal swells and sunny melodies of Two Weeks are reminiscent of The Beach Boys, and the song also benefits from the backing vocals of Beach House's Victoria Legrand. Odd, slightly unnerving music video aside, Two Weeks really soars thanks to clever instrumentation, like the heavy driving beat and light piano notes. Other memorable musical moments are the horns on I Live With You and the low-key incessant bass line of Ready, Able. As well as the sublime break-up song, While You Wait For The Others, two other highlights on the record are opener Southern Point and closer Foreground. The chorus on Cheerleader and the harmonies on All We Ask are also great. Though the album does meander a little in the middle, it starts strongly and finishes even stronger. Grizzly Bear's follow-up album, Spoils (2012), is another brilliant record, full of wonderful songs like Speak In Rounds, but it doesn't quite live up to Veckatimest. The band are currently on hiatus, and Rossen has proved to be the most prolific band member, releasing records as part of Department Of Eagles and solo, including the mesmeric Saint Nothing. He's a genuinely unique talent.
The first gig I went to after starting a family was Grizzly Bear (memorably supported by Beach House) at London's Roundhouse in March 2010. The venue, the music, everything was perfect. By this point, the band were enjoying some renown thanks to the success of Veckatimest. Only two years previously, they only boasted a small, cult following; however, the chance to open for Radiohead on their 2008 North American tour, thanks to Jonny Greenwood's love of their music, proved to be Grizzly Bear's big break. After the tour, the group holed up in a house in Cape Cod and set about writing the songs for their third LP. My first encounter with their music was the Friend EP (2007), including a brilliant version of Little Brother, and this led me back to Yellow House (2006). Compared to that record's dark, introspective mood, Veckatimest is full of sunny harmonies and perfect pop moments. Many of the songs were developed as group collaborations, rather than arriving fully formed from each of the group members, and this gives the album an organic, improvised feel. Recorded in the Catskill Mountains, Veckatimest benefits from the input of composer Nico Muhly, who's responsible for the baroque strings and multi-layered songs. Daniel Rossen and Ed Droste shared their songwriting, with Rossen responsible for one of the record's highlights, While You Wait For The Others, and Droste conjuring up Veckatimest's most perfect pop moment, Two Weeks.
The vocal swells and sunny melodies of Two Weeks are reminiscent of The Beach Boys, and the song also benefits from the backing vocals of Beach House's Victoria Legrand. Odd, slightly unnerving music video aside, Two Weeks really soars thanks to clever instrumentation, like the heavy driving beat and light piano notes. Other memorable musical moments are the horns on I Live With You and the low-key incessant bass line of Ready, Able. As well as the sublime break-up song, While You Wait For The Others, two other highlights on the record are opener Southern Point and closer Foreground. The chorus on Cheerleader and the harmonies on All We Ask are also great. Though the album does meander a little in the middle, it starts strongly and finishes even stronger. Grizzly Bear's follow-up album, Spoils (2012), is another brilliant record, full of wonderful songs like Speak In Rounds, but it doesn't quite live up to Veckatimest. The band are currently on hiatus, and Rossen has proved to be the most prolific band member, releasing records as part of Department Of Eagles and solo, including the mesmeric Saint Nothing. He's a genuinely unique talent.
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