Tuesday 15 November 2011

063 - Grizzly Bear


Grizzly Bear certainly benefit from having three members who're songwriters and capable of singing. You can hear it in the breadth of their ouvre. Having a greater pool of source material to work with has culminated in the diverse and enduring Veckatimest, their full-length '09 release, the album from which this video is taken.

In Ready, Able, it is founding member Ed Droste whose voice takes centre stage. After a 90 second introduction, strings kick in, marking the drop. Or rather,  take-off.  From this point on the track just flies. Soars and glides, more appropriately.

It's incredibly well put together. Droste's soothing, syncopated voice is juxtaposed against the distorted thrashes of the guitar. There's an electronic sound (1:46) that has a fairgound feel to it.  All I can see (but not hear) when I listen to it is people enjoying themselves on a roller-coaster at nighttime. I think the combination would make for an interesting scene.

Together these elements create the hazy, care-free space of the track, one that crams happiness and sadness; beauty and ugliness; seriousness and nonchalance all into four minutes.

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