Renowned
for their chart-topping single “Two Weeks,” Indie-atmospheric band Grizzly Bear
released their fourth studio album Shields
in September 2012, and earlier this year released the albums B-sides. While Shields did well to live up to
post-Veckatimest expectations, their B-sides release took a different approach
to exploring the band’s musical complexities.
While
their previous albums were experimental in terms of musicality, their B-sides
explore the other component of the band’s attention-grabbing euphony. The
vagrant instrumental echoes and influential sound still manages to work well
for them but were it not for the as-yet-unheard lyrics nothing would be too
valuable about this release. Take this line of Will Calls: “oily hands, slippery slope, pointed fangs without scope.” Compared to the
chart-stealing qualities of the band’s upbeat lyrics Grizzly Bear brings an
element of seriousness to the table. Defiant of their palpable indie-impressed
songwriting, their B-sides are progressive in their nature and, combined with
the ever-haunting vocals of lead singer Edward Droste, put together another satisfactory
8-track album.
Contradictory
in nature and theme to their ubiquitous though interchangeable sound, Grizzly
Bear’s B-side release of their widely acclaimed Shields does just as well in approaching atmosphere and human
qualities through their eerie melodies and excess eloquence.
Grizzly Bear is playing at the Falls Festival, Sydney, December 28, 29 and 31
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