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The excitement surrounding Veckatimest, the third release from Brooklyn’s Grizzly Bear, has snowballed the past few months, Fleet Foxes’ frontman naming it album of the decade weeks before its appearance. Now it’s out, and it doesn’t disappoint.
In an ambitious leap forward from 2006’s folky Yellow House, ‘Southern Point’ provides a weird and wonderful opening. Its night-time swing gives way to a explosion of colour, before lead single (nothing else could have been) ‘Two Weeks’ is bright and immediate. The remaining ten songs ebb and flow as if a single work, some passages building to memorable melodies, others taking unexpected turns, all of them intricately arranged. With their music led by vocal harmonies and a folky, acoustic band set-up, the watery effect on ‘Dory’ channels Van Dyke Parks and a boys’ choir adds something heavenly to highlight ‘I Live With You’ and closer ‘Foreground’.
In the absence of a tragic backstory or a debt to the latest fashion, the hype surrounding Grizzly Bear can only be attributed to the music. This is where they succeed; influenced by all manner of styles, it’s unclassifiable and understated, but displays an incredible unity. Veckatimest represents the pinnacle of the band’s achievements so far.
Grizzly Bear: official website | MySpace
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