album of the week - 5.4

Grizzly Bear

Veckatimest

Warp Records (2009)

Why you'll love it: intelligent, well crafted, modest, emotional

Why you'll hate it:  slow, totally different than the radio single track

Ever since Grizzly Bear performed the song "Two Weeks" on David Letterman a year ago, the indie music community has been eagerly awaiting this month.  While the band has had its share of critical acclaim in the past, "Two Weeks" has seemed to really stick.  The music video seen below even sent me overhype mode.  

So here we are.  Their third album, Veckatimest, is finally in the public's hands.  With litle surprise, "Two Weeks" hardly represents the full album at all.  No other track even comes close to having such a immediately catchy hook or structure.  No big deal to me.  This was the same case with their previously biggest song, "Knife", and the rest of their 2007 album, Yellow House.  So before I get into what the real album is - to all of you who have only heard "Two Weeks" and love it, you will be disappointed by this album!

The real Veckatimest is a dense, layered, and modest collection of songs.  It may take you 4 or 5 playthroughs until certain songs begin to click.  The opening track "Southern Point" sounds like a mess of acoustics at first, but once you return to it after playing the full album, all the little factors begin to shine.  Grizzly Bear has done an amazing job of taking their laid back Yellow House formula, syphoning out most of the country gimmick, and tightening the hell out of their songs.  These are like mini-post rock songs, they pack in so many progressions from high to low and build melodies in such little time.  What would normally be a 9 minute song is only 4 minutes.  I honestly don't know how they do it and still have it sound so natural.  

Veckatimest is an epic album that only spans 50 minutes in 12 songs.  Once you become in tune with their harmonies, it's a wonderful listen.  There is, although, a drawback to this.  If you come across moments that you find boring or unsatisfying, it's very hard to get back on that horse.  The song "Dory"  stops the record dead for me.  It's got a corny whimsical tone, and I don't like the way its sung.  Now that I've lost it,  I'm searching for some instant gratification, and Grizzly Bear's pace doesn't offer it.  Even though the next two tracks are great songs on their own, the album becomes a chore to get back into.  I've found that if I skip "Dory" and the pointless short "Hold Still" the second half of the album is nearly as strong as the first, and intriguing all the way to the satisfying closer, "Foreground".

I had a lot to say about this album, mostly great stuff; but it wasn't really the mindblow I was expecting.  The more I delve into the album, the more I get out of it, but that is a problem in of itself.  If you aren't paying strict attention, you won't get much out of the album other than "this sounds pretty sometimes, for background music."  If you're the type of person who just plays music to sing along to in your car, this isn't for you.  If you are the type to sit alone quietly with headphones, this will be one of your favorites of 2009.