Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009)

Grizzly Bear conjure up folk songs to envelop. Think blankets, canopies and slivers of light. The tracks swathe listeners and reproduce the sensory equivalent of a midnight walk through a dense forest. Veckatimest wants to soundtrack your autumn. Named after a remote island, Veckatimest expertly crafts the sound of solitude. There’s less variation in the songs than on 2006’s Yellow House, though the latest offering is certainly more concise.

“Southern Point” opens the record with a quiet-loud, hushed-bombastic alertness, while “Two Weeks” champions a marching band with playful harmonies. “Fine For Now” insists that “There is time, so much time”, while exploiting what sounds like a forest choir. Contrary to these words sung throughout, the chorus rollickingly rips open and cymbals are attacked, suggesting there is little or no time. Grizzly Bear are engaging in musical dish-smashing. The beginning vocals on “Dory” are ghostly. All four musicians are expelling what haunts them.

In the body of the album, Veckatimest falters somewhat. Atmosphere drops substantially with directionless songs “About Face” and “Hold Still”. These sketches are more suited to inclusion as B-Sides on a single, rather than an LP.

Fortunately, “While You Wait For Others”, ensures that the record is injected with renewed intensity, while “I Live With You” has a thrilling and thunderous conclusion.

“Foreground” complies with the convention of most records, in saving the most graceful song to close the curtain. It echoes with an irrepressible emotional weight, before retreating from ear shot. With ripped jeans and a dirty face, you’ve found your way out of the forest.

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