What I've been listening to lately, #1

I thought there would be no better time than the summer holiday to start posting something other than show playlists. So hopefully, this post will be the first of the many, in which I'll be commenting on what I've been listening to lately. Well here it goes..

I've liked Grizzly Bear from the first time I heard them, but recently I have completely fallen in love with their music. Their critically acclaimed 2009 release Veckatimest is of course one of the greatest relesases that the Brooklyn scene will ever produce, but it was their 2006 dated sophomore effort Yellow House which ultimately amazed me. I've spent the last few days rewinding and listening again and again.. This is what I like most about the summer holidays, spare time I've got urges me to re-discover my favourite artists.

Yellow House is enchanthing from beginning to end; the vocals, subtly calculated harmonies and especially the always-meticulous percussion sections crafted by Chris Bear... All four of the guys in Grizzly Bear are exceptionally talented, but in my humble opinion, the drummer Chris Bear and guitarist/vocalist/songrwriter Daniel Rossen stand one step ahead of the other two. If you have the time and interest, I would suggest you to listen to the percussions in songs 'Central and Remote', 'Marla', and especially the grand final 'Colorado' a little more closely. Chris Bear shows being a great drummer not only lies in knowing how to smash the cymbals or do a million kicks in a second or whatever. He truly manages to add a certain characteristic to his band with his unique drumming and progressive percussion ideas. And Daniel Rossen.. I admire him for always exploring novel musical paths, both in the composition process and the way he plays the guitar. His magnum opus 'On a Neck, On a Spit' is my favourite track off the album.

Also, I have to say this, the vocal harmonies the quartet crafts throughout the album reminds me the old medieval age a capella music; simply hauntingly beautiful. Another thing I love about Grizzly Bear is that how they do not limit their songs to a certain structure, but just leave everything to the flow of the music; perhaps that's why their music sounds so sincere to me, each song progresses without any constraints, and that they don't follow any traditional structures like intro/refrain/outro.. They make real music. Yes, I guess that's fair enough to say; in this world surrounded by so many meaningles commercial pop music, Grizzly Bear is the reality; the pure form of creativity meeting emotions and producing music.

I've listened to Grizzly Bear many times before, but truly losing myself in Yellow House made me realize that these guys have actually created somewhat a genre of their own. A league of their own. It is definitely wrong to try to compare Grizzly Bear to any other artist, don't even try to label them.. The final track 'Colorado' closes Yellow House with some kind of an open-ending as the vocalist Ed Droste suggests that there was more incredibly crafted music to come with Veckatimest -which was unreleased by then- :

"What now, what now, what now, what now?"