Grizzly Bear
"Veckatimest"
Warp Records
Release: Out now
5 out of 5 Stars
I’m a pretty firm believer that it is near impossible to achieve perfection with perfection as the end goal — you pretty much have to stumble upon it on accident. Grizzly Bear has obviously set its sights on perfection with the gorgeous “Veckatimest,” and while it might not have quite achieved that vision, they have come pretty damn close.
Grizzly Bear is meticulous with the craft of songwriting, endlessly adjusting and tweaking every minor ring and chime. That attention to detail is what makes Grizzly Bear so great.
“Veckatimest” has been endlessly tinkered with, and all that tinkering has left us with the loveliest chamber-pop album of the decade. Each song is a distinct moment that culminates into a single experience, and though each moment is beautiful in its own way, when taken as a whole, the encounter will leave you breathless.
Though it is easy to overdo the minor adjustments, Grizzly Bear has managed to avoid this, and instead craft something that feels effortless and free.
Look no further than the luscious “Ready, Able” that dances along like a cloud drifting high and low.
The subtle “Cheerleader” feels like it was shot in the neck with a dart, slowly swirling along before an inevitable crash into unconsciousness.
“Fine For Now” whispers into your ear like a gentle coo from a lover, darting through your nerves before shocking your heart.
“Southern Point” sets the tone on the album; feeling as jagged and majestic as a mountain, and leaving you at a comparable height.
And you just can’t say enough about “Two Weeks.” It is simply indie-pop perfection. It bubbles over in a retro mashing of new and old. Sultry vocals, bouncy keys, and fluttering percussion coalesce into a track where each element seems vital to the songs life.
It has that sort of timeless feel that you, your grandpa and grandkids could all enjoy — so very grandiose and dramatic, in the best of ways.
I felt a little dizzy after my first listen of “Veckatimest.” That is sort the of feeling you get when you have no clue what just happened, but you are so filled with glee you have a ridiculous grin blazing across your face. I think it’s just that I didn’t expect something so good, so great. You might even say, perfect.
Taking Back Sunday
"New Again"
Reprise Records
Release: Out now
4 out of 5 Stars
I can hardly believe “New Again” is the proper title for Taking Back Sunday’s fourth release. There is hardly anything new about the album. The songs sound like they could have easily been lifted from any of their previous releases.
I have to wonder though, is there anything so bad about that? We love to look for maturation in the music of our favorite bands, but I feel like there is nothing worse than pushing out a baby bird before it is ready to fly.
There were a few noticeable changes with “New Again” though, most notably the departure of backup singer and guitarist Fred Mascherino. There is an apparent lessening of the back and forth, dual vocals of before with Adam Lazzara left standing capably at the forefront.
“New Again” also feels a bit more lighthearted than its predecessors. Don’t be mistaken, those signature whiny lines sung like a temper tantrum are still intact (“Slap my wrist with that sweet consequence.” Hello!?). However, the album, overall, seems to be a lot more hopeful and cheery, or at least as happy as an emo kid can be.
There are songs on “New Again” that are simply irresistible. The lead-off single, “Sink Into Me,” is filled to the brim with "heys" and "woahs," but it’s refreshing in its straight forward simplicity and catchy hooks.
The riffs on the title track, “Lonely, Lonely” and “Carpathia” might be a little standard, but the band wills you to root along by playing their broken little hearts to death.
The dark “Catholic Knees” feels like the closest move towards maturation for the band, and it suits them well. It crawls along like a shadow, bristling to hide that vulnerability underneath. The album rarely gasps for air, and there is never a dull moment.
The bottom line is the album offers irresistible sing-alongs and undeniable fun. Musically, Taking Back Sunday is not the most innovative band in the world. But what makes them worth a listen is that unyielding passion the band plays with. And I’ll take passion over maturation any day.
Taking Back Sunday may not be growing up just yet, but I’m not too convinced that I want them to anyway.
-Joshua Boydston
JJanowiak 2 years, 11 months ago
Hah, funny that you review both of these in the same article - where's your indie cred, man?! The new Grizzly Bear album is great but I can't decide if it's as good as Yellow House. The problem with Grizzly Bear is that its louder songs are better (think Little Brother and On a Neck, On a Spit), so much so that three or four tracks from Yellow House easily compensated for what, honestly, felt like some mediocre holdovers from their first "effort". Some tracks on Veckitamest are the same way, and songs like "Fine For Now" are so hulking that it's easy to forget some of the more waifish tracks. But it's also one of those albums that really grows on you and the quieter tracks have more nuance this time around.
Also they are great live. Anyone remember a year or two ago when they played with Annuals and had fourish drummers going at the same time?
PS: Joshua is making a good impression as the new music reviewer. There's always going to be moaning and groaning about whether the Daily's going to stick in boring Nickelback land or veer off into 60's Malaysian throat music nobody's ever heard of, but Josh is picking a nice middle path between music that is good and music that people have heard of. Keep it up.
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