Review: Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest (2009) [Warp] // Grade: B-
Ever year there are a few critical darlings whose albums seemingly get dubbed “Best of the Year” before the album’s finished being mastered. Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavillion started the year off with that title, and just as pre-orders of Veckatimest are arriving into their mailboxes, Grizzly Bear is probably donning their Sunday best for their award ceremony.
Grizzly Bear, Like Animal Collective is the sort of and that almost tailor built for the sort of praise critics bend over backwards to give. Musically and sonically adapt, pushing some sort of envelope on each new album while grounding themselves with some traditionalism… which for both bands would be Chamber Pop. And while it may be easy to automatically hate these bands who seemingly Hijack such lofty praise before the rest of the world can from an opinion on the matter, the truth is most of the times these bands are actually putting out good, if not great albums.
Veckatimest is Grizzly Bear’s 3rd full length album and is by far their most realized, most inviting and most interesting album to date. The sort of album that lends itself to indoctrinating a gaggle of new listeners certain to turn the band into mainstream successes overnight. But is it one of the best albums of this year? I suppose the answer to that question depends on how much schmaltz you can sit through because let me tell you, there’s a whole lot of it here!
