Monday, May 18, 2009

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest.

When you buy a box of Jelly Belly’s in assorted flavors, you better be prepared for a variety of tastes. Sure, you’ll get watermelon and lime, but you’re also going to taste an occasional popcorn-flavored bean. It’s the same way with Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear’s third full length. The album is a mish-mosh of dramatic mood swings, with each song leaving a new and different taste in your mouth. “Southern Point” hurtles forward with dramatic stringed crescendos, “All We Ask” haunts with its ghost-like vocal harmonies, and “I Live With You” bursts into a violent, tragic fit that would be appropriate in a dark horror scene. Grizzly Bear, one of the indie scene’s biggest buzz bands, has impeccable attention to detail. Each note and every element is handpicked for the exact moment in which it’s played. Songs on Veckatimest build on 2006’s critically acclaimed Yellow House, adding a fourth dimension with layered vocals, hints of dreamlike ambient guitar, and swelling choruses. “Two Weeks” finds the four-member band at its best; frontman Ed Droste’s voice floats over bright, sparkling piano like a honey-sweet Jens Lekman, while the rest of the band sings along in a “whoa-woah” harmony. 

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