Grizzly Bear - Friend EP
It is little wonder they have fans so musically diverse when their material is positively unfathomable, complex and varied.
It is little wonder Grizzly Bear have fans as musically diverse as Plan B and Zach Condon of Beirut when their material is positively unfathomable, complex and varied. This latest collection 'Friend' features covers and new versions of the band's earlier material.
The input of Zach Condon is plain to hear on EP opener 'Alligator'; much like the work of Beirut, it is vast, at times gaping, but persistently engaging. 'He Hit Me' is haunting, weary and emotionally strung. To an unfamiliar ear it sounds a bit over-inward, but contextualized this is just another strand of Grizzly Bear.
'Little Brother' is perhaps a bit easier to grasp than some of the 'Bears' work. Tight harmonies, energy and vast musical accompaniments are nothing new, but a tight and regular pulse is. It is the backbone and edges the track soundly. A strange air of The Beatles emerges later in the album. In fact on the 'Shift' rework, a persistent ring of Lennon/McCartney outweighs the original - surely a worthwhile alternate version.
Perhaps naively for this reviewer, 'Plans (Terrible vs. Nonhorse Sounds Edit)' does not work - a platter of eerie, sharp, screeching noises for 1 minute 36 seconds may somewhere to someone have great artistic merit, but try telling that to my sore eardrums.
Elsewhere, an immense harmony breaks the on-going instrumental eeriness of 'Granny Diner'. CSS's interpretation of 'Knife' is a highlight of the album, tuneful and with a definite melody. More tame than what we have normally come to expect from CSS, it is expressive, fun and stylised. 'Band Of Horses' take a country swing on 'Plans' before the album is capped with Atlas Sound's echoing, progressive take on 'Knife'.
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