Indie folk rock band Grizzly Bear will release their new album “Shields” on Tuesday.
The Brooklyn-based band originally began as vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Ed Droste’s music project in the early 2000s.
With that, Droste’s Grizzly Bear dropped its first album “Horn of Plenty” in 2004. Similar to Bon Iver, Droste continued as Grizzly Bear’s only featured performer, although soon he added two other musicians to the fold, who toured with him for a few performances before consolidating into an actual band.
The band, although loosely termed after the drop of Grizzly Bear’s first album, took the tour as an opportunity to test drive their new setup. Soon, a fourth member rounded out the band and the guys of Grizzly Bear decided to adopt the name as a group and no longer as Droste’s stage moniker.
So, in 2006 when the time to begin work on their sophomore album was present, Droste, the vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and omnichord player, Christopher Bear, the drummer, backup vocalist and glockenspiel player, Chris Taylor, bass guitarist, backup vocalist and producer, and Daniel Rossen vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and banjo player were ready to tackle the album as a band.
The band’s first collective effort, “Yellow House,” was released in September 2006 on Warp Records. The album won critical acclaim for its innovative sound and even won a spot on The New York Times Best Albums of 2006 list. The band then began an extensive touring circuit, even joining beloved band Radiohead on the North American leg of their tour as the opening act.
Once the tour was over, Grizzly Bear started work on their third LP. “Veckatimest” was released May 2009 which fared well on the charts; it went so far as to secure a No. 8 spot on the Billboard 200 chart for the U.S. The band’s third, much more mainstream sound boded well for the band and had the album gracing top album lists for the year.
The band receded from the spotlight only to return with their latest album “Shields.” They officially announced their return to the music scene by releasing their first single, “Sleeping Ute”, and then releasing the track listing for the album in early June. Although the album won’t be officially released until Tuesday, NPR.com is streaming the full album to eager listeners who want to listen to what Grizzly Bear is bringing in its fourth effort. The album surely won’t disappoint.
The 10-track LP showcases all the indie-folk gooey goodness heard on their first two full-length albums. The album isn’t as pop-y as their “Veckatimest” album, but still maintains that lullaby-like mystical quality that Grizzly Bear has fine-tuned.
The first track off the album, and the first single, “Sleeping Ute” kicks off the LP with a quicker pace than what’s heard in the remainder of the album. It sweeps out like the current and pulls you in with its 70s psychedelic flair and Droste’s buttery vocals. The guitars and choppy cacophony of instruments bring the track a little funk and the banjo pulls the track over the country music line just a smidgen.
It’s a haunting melody and the instrumentation, vocals and lyrics are the perfect example at how all the parts of a song should complement each other.
Another great track off the album is “Yet Again.” The track showcases Grizzly Bear’s more mainstream capabilities and prove the band can be chameleon-like in their sound yet maintain their integrity.
The vocals of the song are by far the focus and reveal how awesome the band is at incorporating group vocals and making it sound flawless. The guitar and drum instrumentations wrap around the vocals and create a smooth, whimsical sound that lulls yet still maintains a rock sound. The track is catchy, but not overbearing or cliche and gives the album more dimension. This track is a definite listen.
“A Simple Answer” is a keyboard-heavy track that brings the album a bit more variety and showcases Grizzly Bear’s many talents. It’s a little dueling piano with the looped piano track, but the vocals give the track a stronger rock sound. The base instrumentation is much more “electronic” and utilizes less guitar than the other tracks on the album. Although a little more synth, it doesn’t overpower the vocals.
Although the album in its entirety should be added to everyone’s listen list, the track “gun-shy” is the best track off the album.
The group vocals and pop-y instrumentation give the track a similar sound to Foster the People’s indie sound. The vocals on this track make it a standout because they are mysterious and captivating. If any track should become the following single, this one is it.
Grizzly Bear proves once again that they can churn out quality full-length albums like nobody’s business. Their fourth effort enabled them the ability to experiment a bit without harming their unique sound.
Though not as mainstream as their previous album, there are some songs that would do well if released as singles. The lasting power and quality assurance of Grizzly Bear proves that four is better than one.
