Best album of the year? Maybe not, but it tries really, really hard. It’s been three years since we last had a full-length album (Yellow House) from Grizzly Bear. However, Grizzly Bear have kept very busy. Whether it was releasing an EP, playing with Paul Simon, performing unreleased songs on Letterman for the hell of it, or doing ironic covers of teen-pop songs for each other’s birthday, this quartet has stayed in the spotlight.
Leading up to the release of Veckatimest (also the name of an uninhibited island off the coast of Massachusetts) founding member, Ed Droste, gave a myriad of press junkets promising at least four things; more collaboration on songwriting, more attention to the drums, a rawer more “live-sounding” approach, and a guest vocal from Beach House’s Victoria Legrand. Grizzly Bear make good to all their promises on Veckatimest. The avant-garde product of Droste’s "new approach" is the closest Grizzly Bear have come to crossing the Rubicon of user-friendliness. Veckatimest is Grizzly Bear’s first attempt as a four piece and subsequently the band sounds much more full and “pop” sensible.
Veckatimest opens with “Southern Point”, an earthy, C,S,N & Y-like , attempt at Riders On The Storm (sounds cool, doesn’t it?). The very next track, “Two Weeks”, is the fulfilled promise to hear Victoria Legrand’s (Beach House) vocals. “Two Weeks” is the closest Grizzly Bear have ever come to having a traditional single under their belts. In “All We Ask”, Ed’s vocal and high reverb can be compared to Hamilton Leithauser of The Walkmen (also from New York). “Ready, Able” is the synth and reverb love child between “Being for the Bennifit of Mr. Kite” and an opium high. However, the highlight of Veckatimest for me is “Fine For Now”. This beautiful sound-scape is driven by an eerie Jeff Buckley vocal arrangement.
At it’s very least, Veckatimest, is a set of very solid songs. At it’s very best, Grizzly Bear have made 2009’s best album. In a day and age where everyone is trying to sound too futuristic, too loud or too much like U2, Grizzly Bear throw away the blue prints and create an exciting array of audible images. Veckatimest is good enough to deserve multiple plays because you are sure to miss Dorste’s extreme attention to detail on the first or even fifth go.
1. Ability to listen to album as a whole - 18
2. Probability you will listen to it again within 7 days – 19
3. Originality - 16
4. Advancement - 16
5. Buyer's remorse – 18
Total - 87
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