If I’ve discovered anything about myself in listening to so much music the past year, it’s that I can be impatient. I like hooks, I like beats. Get me in and get me out in four minutes. (OK, I’ll give you five or six minutes if your first name is Sufjan.)
So when I popped in Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House – probably in the car or something – it didn’t last but two songs. This has little to do with Grizzly Bear and more to do with my sometimes antsy nature. From the get-go, I could tell listening to Yellow House would not be a mindless activity. This requires physical and mental concentration. Restraint and patience.
Although I’m not entirely familiar with the “freak folk” scene, the band was mentioned in passing in the New York Times article about it, although the guys dispute the story’s description of them. I prefer the label from Gothamist, which described Grizzly Bear’s music as “bewilderock.”
More than any album I’ve come across this year, Yellow House tests my iPod trigger finger. When I feel the urge to flip songs, then I’m oddly compelled to keep listening. There is no traditional verse-chorus-verse safety net to fall into.
Again, this probably says more about my tendencies as a listener than Grizzly Bear as a band, because they’re good. Really, I need more albums like this. Or I need to actually listen to more albums like this. Each song takes awhile to wrap my head around. Plans, for example, offers everything I love in a song: horns, great drums, rhythm. But its scattered approach tends to confuse on first listen and then fall into line with each successive play, much like the album as a whole.
Yellow House comes out on Warp Records on Sept. 5. Sept. 4 The group is offering a free download of the single On a Neck, On a Spit at its Web site.
Grizzly Bear | Plans
i agree with you about needing some patience to absorb grizzly bear. that said, i think “knife” is pretty accessible at first go-round. and i love the horn of plenty remixes.
i fucking love this album and found it pretty much loveable from the get go.
that said, at least you gave it a chance. chances are it’ll stick with you longer than another album that you immediately like.
i’ll check back in six months and see how you feel
ps. i find them to be as hooky as sufjan
The growers are the ones I end up loving for the longest. This sounds right up my alley, thanks!
Yeah, this album is amazing. The last album tests the patience in me, but this one lives up to all the hype of their debut. “Knife” IS an amazing song, but it’s a good experience all around.
this is the first thing that comes up when you google grizzly bear yellow house
i guess you have a popular site
anyhow, if this album doesn’t make it to pretty much every top ten, i’ll eat my socks and my dog
Amazing…Astounding…F**king Brilliant! Entrancing, mysterious and beautiful. From the first encounter I had with Grizzly Bear’s music I immediatly fell in love with it!! Horn of Plenty and the remixes grabbed my attention more than any other band has in a LONG time! Its so refreshing to hear this music its making my mind tingle! Am listening to Yellow House now for the first time (currently on Plans) and it is sounding EVEN BETTER!! You all need to own this music, if not your missing out. Love it! 😛
Just gave it a first listen and yeah it didn’t do anything to get my attention.
I’m going to try again, but so far it’s very dull.