Review:

on 2013-01-28 samlsmith71 Said:

While 2006's "Yellow House" and 2009's "Veckatimest" sounded like two dueling songwriters singing and strumming for the spotlight, "Shields" sounds like an album written & performed by a band. As Grizzly Bear maintains their usual earnestness and intentionally somewhat downplayed grandiloquence in their delivery, they present themselves as a single functioning unit. Despite this being by far their most musically adventurous album, the vision is firm and the unity is undeniable. Chris Bear's dramatic jazz-flavored drumming lays a foundation upon which are spread piles of acoustic and electric guitars, pianos, and the band's haunting vocal harmonies.

In the past, the members of Grizzly Bear have had as much trouble identifying themselves as have their critics and fans. Are they singing pop? Performing compositions? Is it folk? Psychedelic? The truth is, they cannot be pinned down, and no doubt they do this with full intention. As soon as the listener begins to feel comfortable in the sonic environment Grizzly Bear creates, they artfully veer into dramatically new territory. No song better exemplifies Grizzly Bear's tendency towards dramatic shifts in dynamics and color than the lead single of Shields: "Sleeping Ute."

The song presents itself as a straight-ahead rock song, yet veers into psychedelic territory as it progresses through banging drums, circling synthesizers, and aggressive lead guitar patterns. What removes this song from simple categorization and cliche is what follows the band dropping out at minute three. Daniel Rossen leads a flamenco-inspired contrasting section over which he sings delicate lines of vague melancholy, bringing the song to an ambiguous conclusion.

"Sleeping Ute" is masterful in its use of contrasting sections and innovative song structure, and while past Grizzly Bear releases have contained similar techniques, "Sleeping Ute" possesses an essential quality that is so lacking in much of the band's earlier work: true emotion. The band often sounds heartbroken, but on Shields, they sound heartbreaking. Perhaps the key to this is also Ed Droste, whose singing has never sounded so naked and desperate ("Yet Again," "Half Gate").

Grizzly Bear's compositional discipline and focus has been proven yet again. They are on top of their game, and are certainly one of the most talented bands today. And with Shields, they have answered the question of "who are they?". They are everything you're hearing. The trouble is, you've never heard anything like it before.

Though Shields has expanded upon Grizzly Bear's unique sound, there does remain the big emotion question. Grizzly Bear, in all their beauty, is, musically, uptight. They are not directly dance-y, sentimental, regretful, optimistic, and definitely not anything that could make you laugh. So what are they? What are they trying to communicate with their music?

Maybe it's Confusion.

Confusion about what to feel, why to feel it, and who to feel it for. Grizzly Bear is the 21st century youth, blindly feeling its way through the dirty shielded streets of the city, looking for something to look for. Grizzly Bear does not offer solutions, but instead elegantly paints the problems. And if confusion is Grizzly Bear's craft, they have certainly mastered it with Shields.
Rating: 9/10