Album Review: Bear's Den - Islands

"Guard your hope with your life" 

I first discovered Bear's Den via their previous outfit Cherbourg way back in 2009. It was just prior to Mumford-mania, and in hearing the - now folk super houses - support band for a show at Kingston's iconic New Slang, I was instantly taken aback by their beautiful melodies and sincere approach to songwriting - something I'm pleased to say has changed little to date. Following Cherbourg's split, I kept an eye out for Davie's musical endeavours as I could tell that a formidable talent lay within the bearded West-London native - and I even picked him out as a one-to-watch for 2011.

Upon hearing 'Agape', the first song from his new outfit Bear's Den, (taken from the 2013 EP of the same name) I could tell that I was hearing was something special - beautiful melodies and sincere songwriting were present as they were years earlier, but this time there was added maturity and lyrical depth. The band's follow-up EP Without/Within showed  an increasing focus on musicianship and deviating to more abstract and complex song structures.

Although Islands is the band's first full length record, it feels like the culmination of years of musical journeys.

Opening with the song that started this whole journey off, 'Agape', the familiar opening banjo chords are like being welcomed to this new chapter by an old friend. It's chorus is a rousing sing-along, rich in harmonies and littered with lyrical gems of heartbreak and obsession. 'The Love That We Stole' is an incredibly well crafted Americana track, built around an off-beat guitar riff and thundering percussion. Following two former fan favourites in 'Isaac' and the newly named 'Above The Clouds of Pompeii', we hear a new track in 'Think Of England'. This lush, nostalgia laden homage to our fair isle builds beautifully over 4 minutes, leading to an eruption of brass as it fades to black, repeating the line "do you lie back, and think of England with fireworks flashing".

'Magdalene' is a re-working of one of Cherbourg's finest moments (previously called 'Never Love Again'); despite lacking some of the urgency and melodic hooks of it's previous incarnation it's pretty special to hear the former melody line from five years earlier creep through at the song's climax, as a reverberated and ghostly Davies repeats the line from his past: "I will never love again with all my heart, it just falls apart every time I try". 

For me this is where this record diverges. To this point it has featured a number of tracks already released on previous EP's or written in previous formations of the band; however, the final three tracks show glimpses of the band's future.

'Stubborn Beast' hints at darker subject matter built around Bon Iver-esque open guitar song structures. On 'Elyisium' Davie writes confessionally to his brother about the complexities of becoming a man ("brother, please never grow up"); though it is lyrically quite a downbeat affair, it's juxtapositioned by one of the most infectiously anthemic choruses on the album. Closer 'Bad Blood' is, simply put, a masterpiece, showing glimpses of further evolution in the band's songwriting. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to scare you at all, I'm just trying to drain all my bad blood"

Though in these hugely cynical times people will criticise them for being too safe, there is something so refreshing about the accessibility and genuine honesty of everything that Bear's Den do - completely devoid of pretension - and based on their ever-growing legions of fans, I'm clearly not alone.

Bear's Den - Islands: 7.5 / 10

"I don't want to know who I am without you"

Track of the Day: Benjamin Shaw - You & Me

"So here's a line about the system, and here's a line that's quite funny. Here's a pop culture reference, and a lazy refrain.....like you and me."

Benjamin Shaw has been a master in making brilliantly challenging lo-fi music, littered with wry wit and downbeat metaphor.

His second album Goodbye' Cagoule World was released earlier this year on the ever excellent Audio Antihero label; garnering significant acclaim from the blogosphere for it's uncompromising approach and intelligent lyrics. You & Me is his second single from this release, and is a truly brilliant, and surprisingly accessible, lo-fi pop song. Catchy electronic hooks, layered with hints of guitar and Shaw's signature lackluster vocal.

He's even recruited fellow label-mates Jack Hayter, Cloud and Broken Shoulder aboard, who have all contributed their own unique take on this fantastic track to form the You & Me EP.

Here's a tongue-in-cheek message from the label included in the press release: "The idea of this single was to get Benjamin Shaw’s “You & Me” played on the radio and celebrated by blogs and magazines forevermore and maybe make us rich men – but I think it turned out pretty nice." Pretty nice, it certainly is. Go and make them rich men - you can buy the EP on Bandcamp below.

Track of the Day: SYKES – Gold Dust

When I think of long summer days with friends, it's tracks like this that I live for.... 

Glorious, warm synths and soaring, sugary melodies instantly made me take note of Sykes stunning single 'Gold Dust'. Released as a single last month it draws on the pop credentials of contemporaries such as Ladyhawke, as well a mixing in the upbeat new wave vibes which have endeared so many to Brighton five-piece Fickle Friends.

Hailing from South London the trio have been making infectious indie-pop for some time now (though the fantastic Tom Robinson has just brought them to my attention on his Introducing Mixtape), with this being the title-track taken from their 4 track EP late last year. 

More new music is on the way soon, with the band's upcoming single 'Anybody Out There' due for release on September 15th (it's currently available to pre-order here). I'm expecting big things from this exciting outfit in 2015, however, in the mean time click play and drift away into 'Gold Dust'.

Track of the Day: Coldplay & Cat Power - Wish I Was Here

Moving away from his stereotype as the goofy comical lead in HBO's Scrubs, Zach Braff carved out a name for himself with his indie masterpiece Garden State back in 2004. The film quickly became known as much for its musical credentials as it's subtle portrayal of small town America; famously breaking Albuquerque-natives, The Shins, with the prominent line "You gotta hear this one song - it'll change your life; I swear' - referring to their quirkly alt-pop track 'New Slang'.

Well there's been no shortage of artists getting on board for Braff's latest creative endeavor, the crowd-funded film, 'Wish I was Here' (released 18th July), with original tracks being written from the likes of indie stalwarts Bon Iver and a return from The Shins. The latest of these exclusives come courtesy of a beautifully low key collaborative ballad between acclaimed indie songstress Cat Power and pop powerhouse Coldplay. It's subtle piano work and lush melodies bring together two of modern music's leading voices from two different sides of the musical spectrum, in the process creating something incredibly special. Read the full story of how the track came to fruition below:

"The original tune came together when Braff gave an early cut of the film to Martin, who then gathered his band to start working on music. "Chris had the idea that it would be sung by a woman," Braff told NPR of the song, which he calls his favorite on the Wish I Was Here soundtrack (out July 15th). "I thought that was a genius idea, because one of the things the film is about is a strong woman (Kate Hudson's character) becoming the matriarch of her family. When Chris and I were talking, we both kind of simultaneously said, 'Cat Power'.

After viewing the film herself, Marshall agreed to work on the track; she recorded her vocals at New York City's Electric Lady Studios, leaving Martin and Coldplay to finish the production." (Via Rolling Stone)

Track of the Day: Slow Club - Suffering You, Suffering Me

Ever since I first heard the sweet tones of Sheffield-based duo Charles Watson & Rebecca Taylor, aka Slow Club, on the heartfelt indie ballad 'Christmas TV' I absolutely loved this band. There was a hugely likeable style to the band's sound: honest lyrics and a fun and playful nature that made them a favourite with me and so many others.

Their sound has changed significantly over the years; from the twee indie folk of Say Yes, to the electro-tinged Paradise, and now with the release of Complete Surrender, yet another evolution which has moved once more to a classic 50's soul styling.

Sophomore single, 'Suffering You, Suffering Me', features the strongest vocal performance in the band's history, with Rebecca oozing a soaring, smokey tone and a confidence which is truly stunning. Backed up with lines of roaring brass, uptempo percussion and driving melodies, it stands as a real statement for the band's upcoming album, Complete Surrender, which is due for release on July 14th.
 

Track of the Day: Yusuf Azak - Silver Rose

After two albums on the ever-excellent Song, by Toad records, Yusuf Azak has taken his uniquely gruff vocals and off-kilter indie-folk sound across the city to Gerry Loves Records - here he has released his third album Peace in the Underword earlier this month.

His lead single comes in the form of Silver Rose; a delicious piece of slacker rock, awash with leftfield Elliot Smith-esque guitar parts and a lackluster confidence which is effortlessly brilliant.

Anyone who's followed this intriguing talent's earlier work won't be surprised by the quality he delivers on Silver Rose, but if this track sparks interest in the rest of Azak's work, you can find his previous releases available here and his latest record Peace in the Underworld on his Bandcamp here.

Let the musical exploration begin....

Track of the Day: Laurel - To The Hills

Whilst catching up on the last couple of months of Tom Robinson's ever-excellent 'Introducing Mixtapes' I discovered an unstoppably brilliant song which halted me in my tracks. 

After a bit of hunting I discovered it was the work of 19 year old South Coast songstress, Laurel. 'To the Hills' is the title track from her new EP released last month, and is a real statement of intent for what this promising artist is all about. Soaring strings, pulsing base and a towering vocal display (highly reminiscent of Lana del Ray) make for one of the most exciting pop tracks of the year.

Watch the video directed by Ben Newbury, which was inspired by Raymond Carver's short story Why Don't You Dance.