Bear In Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth – Album Review

We can get behind the fine folks at Hometapes.  They’ve been throwing darts all year at the music scene, and it’s no closely guarded secret how much we raved over Megafaun’s release earlier this year.  As a side note, we also got the chance to meet and hangout with the folks from the label.  Not only are they fine people, but they have impeccable taste in bands they choose to sign.  There’s a mildly eclectic and experimental side to the label, with a mainline feed into emerging musical trends.  Their lineup isn’t as lengthy as other labels, but the value lies in the quality of output they dish out.  We’re on board here, and if you get the chance, check out their homepage to explore a bit.  To connect all of this rambling, Bear in Heaven is set to release Beast Rest Forth Mouth on the Hometapes label on October 13th, and in what seems to be the typical fashion, it’s blowing our mind over here.  Large melodies, pummeling percussion, and electronically centered throwback sonic bombast hasn’t sounded this unique and refreshing all year.

Jon Philpot’s semi-rotating Brooklyn ensemble has been garnering plenty of indie rock cred over the last few months of anticipation for this album, and not without merit. Grizzly Bear’s Edward Droste has been blogging and twittering up a storm over the first track release, “Lovesick Teenagers,” a track filled with just the right dash of discord; it’s slightly brooding and dark, swirling with ambient sound that juxtaposes the cursory image of fast paced indie-pop.  It hypnotically captivates but the tightly coiled rhythms create a catchiness that is impossible to shake.  We’re in full agreement with Droste hat the track is a keeper, and also a fully tuned example of what to expect on the entire album.

An important aspect of Beast Rest Forth Mouth is, in fact, its duality.  Tracks like the opener, “Beast in Peace” and “Ultimate Satisfaction” resonate the overall importance of rhythm and percussion throughout the album’s ten lengthy tracks. Drummer Joe Stickney is the real deal, splashing triumphant percussion throughout.  Sometimes tribal, sometimes frenetic, and sometimes jazz inspired, behind everything is the percussion.  “Beast in Peace” interrupts your peace and quiet and announces that attention is required for a little while.  Although much of the album is electronically situated, it’s refreshing to know that not everything can be created with garage band.  The garage infused drum cadences inflect quite a bit of sludge and realism to the songs. The dual structure of the album is in the surrounding arrangement.  Electronic waves, pulses, and sonorous largeness stand in stark contrast to the more primal percussion of the album.  Songs are upbeat but entirely lulling at the same time.  Bear in Heaven also isn’t afraid to let a full song develop for listeners.  Broad strokes are painted initially in “Dust Cloud,” with singularly monotone vocal delivery and synth stabs hitting in unison.  An earthy and gritty intensity slow burns and rises until cymbals are crashing and pulsing noise is swirling above everything.  Large arena rock hooks and soaring vocals stay pinned down behind this methodical attention to detail.  They rein in the largeness by keeping intrigue flowing.  Songs shift angularly, like “Drug A Wheel,” with balmy night campout sounds into freaked out synthesizer flourishes and over-the-top rhythmic pulsing.  Songs need to be played from start to finish on the album.  This is where the true value rings clear with this effort.  The juxtaposition between raucous fuzzed out garage pop and dreamy epic grandiosity is present throughout.  It’s like someone’s singing you a lullaby while your bed’s on fire.

Pitchfork mentions the overall Baroque-ness of the sound, and this is an apt descriptor. Bear in Heaven has one foot in huge sonorous sound and the other in slow burning psychedelia.  The sound of this entire album is refreshing and the catchiness of each song creeps up on listeners.  We’re entirely behind this album and hope you’ll be in line snagging it upon its release in two weeks.

Bear in Heaven – Wholehearted Mess

Bear in Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers