Leak Review: Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
8.5 / 10. One of the Most Hyped Albums of '09 is a Major Success.
Mar 17, 2009
For those who frequent music blogs like Stereogum, Pitchfork and the like, Grizzly Bear’s “Veckatimest” has been hailed as one of the best albums of the year – before it has even hit stores.
This is indicative of two things, the first being the ability of the 21st Century online music press to hype any upcoming release from a buzzworthy indie band with the enthusiasm of a crazed Obama supporter on the ’08 campaign trail (with varying degrees of success).
The second being the ever-increasing importance of the album leak; which “Veckatimest” is already no stranger to. In fact, the “Veckatimest” leak came nearly three months before the actual release date of this highly anticipated album, setting both indie diehards and the Web Sheriff into a frenzy.
So how did they get here? How did this relatively obscure, experimental folk band with orchestral overtones from Brooklyn wind up setting the internets ablaze?
Rise of the Bear
Grizzly Bear released their second full length album “Yellow House” in 2006, which featured immediate standout single “Knife” and a few more slow-burning, heavily layered experimental folk tracks that garnered a great deal of critical praise.
This led to tours with TV on the Radio, Feist, Paul Simon and most notably, the opening slot on the second leg of the mighty Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” tour, which included a glowing review from Radiohead guitarist and experimental genius Jonny Greenwood. In 2008, guitarist/vocalist Daniel Rossen’s side project, Department of Eagles, released the album “In Ear Park,” which made it’s way onto many year-end best-of lists and dialed up the hype for the upcoming release of “Veckatimest.”
But is "Veckatimest" deserving of the hype?
Is this exactly what the indie world was waiting for or is just another bizarre, unlistenable indie album with a goofy title?
In many ways, “Veckatimest” is exactly what the indie blogosphere’s been getting so excited about. It’s a step forward from the somewhat dreary “Yellow House,” in some cases more upbeat and in some cases showcases the more complex and detailed songwriting and musicianship that Grizzly Bear is capable of.
The album begins tremendously with immediate attention-grabber “Southern Point.” “Southern Point” begins with a seductively simple guitar riff, but after about sixty seconds, it expands into a heavily textured song with intricate melodies and overlapping vocal harmonies that manages to remain catchy and compelling and joyful throughout.
Next, the band takes it up a notch with obvious first single, “Two Weeks.,” which is certainly the poppiest track on “Veckatimest,” but it is also probably the best. The song begins with a simple, repetitive piano but then is lifted into the stratosphere by sweeping vocal harmonies courtesy of Rossen and lead crooner Ed Droste and maintained by the airtight rhythm section of Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear. “Two Weeks” could very well be the quintessential song of spring 2009.
After the not-very-restrained jubilation of “Southern Point” and “Two Weeks,” third track “All We Ask” slows down to delve into one of the album’s themes, the subtle intricacies that exist between lovers and the emotions they create.
However, here’s where the album drags a bit and loses it’s instant classic status. Songs like “Fine For Now,” “About Face” and “Hold Still” exist mostly as filler and run the risk of easily getting lost by the end of the album. But that’s mainly because the end of the album is just as fantastic as the beginning.
“While You Wait For The Others” brings the all-important pop hook back into the fold and the band delivers another potentially great single. But that is merely the precursor to the album’s chaotic, beautiful climax, the epic “I Live With You,” which walks the line between sane and delirious and explodes in a fit of swirling psychedelic instrumentation over the same tight rhythm section that is the secret to the success of the album.
Ultimately, “Veckatimest” is a major step forward for what has become one of the major players in the indie rock universe. Few bands come close to what Grizzly Bear has accomplished with this album, which is certain to be even better when the needle hits the vinyl when it’s released on May 26.
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