Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Another review-as-I-listen! Though, technically, I’ve already listened to this album quite a bit. I had a previous leak that was especially poor quality so I tried not to listen very much. But now I’m legitimately giving it a first listen and devoting (as much of) the attention (as I can manage and) it deserves.
Again, note the topics wink wink wink nudge nudge.
- Southern Point: Wow. Wow wow wow. Wow! Play this one loud. It’s huge! There’s so much going on! Man. Way to come out swinging. And oh! The little breakdown/piano part at 3:05 or so. So cool. The drums kill me. They’re so big.
- Two Weeks: Anyone who has seen them live or been following this albums’ progress knows this one. Has a great Beatles-y vibe and a super-dreamy chorus that kills me.
- All We Ask: A good pop song, sounds like something off the Department of Eagles album. Nothing exceptional.
- Fine For Now: A great sleepy track that kills me every time it hits that huge, lush part. And then oh man… the chorus or whatever part it is “we’re all… faltering…” That’s going to be stuck in my head for days. And then man does it build and go nuts. Could be a candidate for track of the year.
- Cheerleader: Another Department Of Eagles sounding track. Sort of creepy sounding in that way they do so well. The notes never resolve where I think they’re going to resolve to.
- Dory: Very cool, sparse little song. Sounds very old and the harmonies very classic. Still keeps going in unexpected directions, though.
- Ready: Not sure what to make of this yet. Another really strange one, which immediately draws me into it.
- About Face: Sort of an unassuming track. Lots of pretty harmonies, but nothing stuck out. Could be a sleeper.
- Hold Still: Another nice subdued track, but again, nothing sticking out.
- While You Wait For The Others: Loved this track since the live radio recording came out a year or so ago. Not sure if I like this one better than the original radio recording or not. I’m leaning towards no, but it could just be familiarity. The whole song sounds more sparse and more jarring than the radio version, but it could just be to create a greater contrast with the rather full and textured chorus.
- I Live With You: Wow! Another huge one! Lots of really cool randomness going on during these crescendos. How can they not end the album with this?
- Foreground: With a lovely little solo piano tune, that’s how. Very nice.
All in all, I reaaaaaally enjoyed it and am starting it right the hell over. I’m still getting familiar with Yellow House and it’s three years after the fact, so I expect this one to hang around for just as long.
Comments
If you’re referring to a previous conversation, I’ve since completely forgotten about it.
check out the review
I’m really looking forward to hearing this. As much as I love Yellow House, I haven’t heard anything else of theirs. Do they have anything else that’s worthwhile?
I’ve had the album before Yellow House, Horn of Plenty or something like that, for a while now but as of yet, I still haven’t listened.
That said, if had heard the radio recording of While You Wait for the Others that came out last summer, you’d be a lot more excited about this album.
Also, the department of eagles album from last year is one of the dudes from this band and it seems a lot of the ideas he developed in that band made their way over here.
Oh yeah, I forgot that I had the DoE album. That’s good stuff.
Hot damn is track 10 tight. I look forward to completing my listen after school today. Yellow House still sucks for me.
Very excited to give this a listen. “Cheerleader” has been getting some heavy airplay on Sirius/XMU and I love it, and judging by your review it’s just “eh” compared to the rest of the album, so I’m prepared to be blown away.
Does anyone have the latest Cursive record?
Paris said:Hot damn is track 10 tight. I look forward to completing my listen after school today. Yellow House still sucks for me.
I fully agree about Yellow House, but I really liked “While You Wait…” since hearing it last year so I’m hopeful that’s more indicative of the rest of the album enough so that I’m pretty excited to hear the whole thing.
Yeah, I’ve tried Yellow House once every 2 months and it’s just boring. I don’t hear that many layers to the songs. By halfway through, I forget it’s on! Every time.
But then yes, Kevin, that song hooked me. After my first trip through the full album, I at least have a desire to listen a second time.
I agree completely about Yellow House. And it was only reiterated by seeing them live. Lethargic, uninspired and boring. Occassionally there were halfway decent harmonies but nothing above your standard issue high school choir.
I’ve been listening to this a lot lately and I really like it. People talk a lot about how sucky radio is and why people bother, but actually strangely enough this album has benefited from me hearing songs from it on WFMU. Whereas attempting a straight through listen was o.k. but not overly inspired for me. Before I was familiar enough with the songs individually and on there own I would hear them interspersed in sets on WFMU and go “Whoa…who is this…it sounds familiar and awesome.” Then I would realize it was something off of this album, and the fact that I was hearing it in the context of other music somehow made it click. And now I really love this album.
this was last week’s CD of the Week on WXPN and I know I heard a bunch of it but I couldn’t tell you what any of it was.
It’s pretty much all I’ve been listening to lately.
Still listening to this album every day. Between this, Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors, this year stands the chance of having all my favorite albums be by bands I previously hated.
hahahahhaahah! Wow. Has that ever happened before?
Southern Point is definitely my favorite song of the year so far. I have to listen to it every day or else I get all antsy. I LOVE the guitar work in that song.
The whole song is outstanding. The drums, especially, kill me. That Fine For Now give me goosebumps.
These dudes are going to be on Letterman momentarily. Tune in.