Grizzly Bear

In the past Grizzly Bear live have been a pleasant, if undemanding, experience — high on atmospherics and pleasing washes of sound but low on engagement, like lying on one’s back on a warm summer’s day, and staring at passing clouds. As they prepare to release excellent new album V, an entirely different dynamic is on show. Key to this is drummer Christopher Bear’s mightily impressive work in lending Grizzly Bear a jazzy pace under the four entwined vocals. They’re helped by surprisingly good sound, and the appearance of Nico Muhly, who adds some bleeps and bloops. But it’s the strength of recent single ‘Two Weeks’ or ‘Knife’ that make this an ATP highlight. For these Grizzlies, the salmon of 2009 is ripe for plucking from the stream of indifference.

LT