The Grizzly Bears Do It Again with Veckatimest

music...
Grizzly Bear have never been about hype. Their last full-length album, Yellow House, seemed to virtually come out of nowhere to wide acclaim from fans and critics alike. Yet, even on the heels of what many people considered to be the best record of 2006, they toured very modestly, playing bars so small that they could barely fit their equipment through the door, while helping bring exposure to friends such as Dirty Projectors.

Things have changed since then, and the four lads have seen themselves open up for top-tier acts such as Feist and Radiohead. Regardless, Grizzly Bear have remained humble, and it's not their fault that Veckatimest may in fact be the most hyped record of the year so far.

This album is better then anyone ever expected it to be. Veckatimest, takes the lush components we loved from Yellow House and brings them to new heights. Vocal harmonies from songs like "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait For The Others" are reminiscent of Yellow House favorites "Knife" and "Easier". If you were a fan of the Yellow House orchestral sound then you will certainly enjoy Veckatimest.

Their approach to song on this album has greatly changed since Yellow House. Meandering qualities were replaced with pop sensibility and almost every track can be a hit on their own. Although these songs would do well independently from the album that is not how they were meant to be heard. Grizzly Bear created the album as a cohesive unit that should be listened to from song one all the way to the last song on the album.

While there is no telling what exactly is next for Grizzly Bear, it's safe to say that the release of this record will solidify their rightfully earned place as one of the most forward thinking modern rock acts in the pool. Let's just hope we don't have to wait for another three years for their next masterpiece to bubble up to the surface.