THURSDAY, APRIL 02, 2009
It's always a good thing when a band that has released albums as interesting and complete as Horn of Plenty and Yellow House manages to match and even exceed their previous work. It doesn't happen often but when it does it is truly a wonderful thing. On Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear have not only lived up to high expectations but they have managed to surpass what anybody could have hoped from them.
Veckatimest is far from a continuation of where their previous release, Yellow House, left off. While the music remains very intricate and evocative, the mood on this one is completely different than on past efforts. While Yellow House had a darker and more melancholic feel to it, Veckatimest, for the most part, has the band sounding a little happier; even up-beat at times. "Two Weeks", with its bouncy piano and Brian Wilson-esque harmonies, is arguably the poppiest song the band has ever put out. It also may be the best song the band has ever written. Other notables on this one come in the form of the one-two punch that is "Dory" and "Ready, Able". The former, a song that feels dreamlike in its ethereality and the latter vintage Grizzly Bear, with rich vocal harmonies and intricate instrumentation combining to create a piece of shiver inducing beauty.
This is the type of album that takes more than one listen to truly grasp what is going on. The songs are far from simple in their composition and in this case, multiple listens are necessary to uncover all of the many hidden treasures that this album contains. Normally, it would seem fair to say that this is as good as Grizzly Bear is going to get, but judging by how the band is continuing to improve and impress, there seem to be no limits to how much further this band can go.
