Reviews (page 2 of 8)
I really enjoyed this. My college bf was really into them but it didnt click back then. Will def listen again. Thought the lyrics were incredible.
Masterpiece. I have a soft spot for early 2000s Indie, but i CANT believe I’ve never listened to this full album. Two weeks was always a favorite. But the whole album is engrossing, can’t stop listening type. Every song is full, the vocals and lyricisim emotional, and unique, while also all coming together perfectly.
pretogues
How many times did I listen to “Southern Point” on the D train home to Bensonhurst in 2009? 🥲 I heard this record described once as sounding like fragile memories, which I love and totally agree with. Tonally they do such a good job of using instrumentation to represent bitterness and subtle unease. Also I didn’t know this until today, but Veckatimest is an uninhabited island near Martha’s Vineyard!
oh uh ah oh ahhhhhh
Gruffy
Första albumet som känns som 5/5. Bra vibes genom hela och nice musik overall
Reminds of a band I love from the nineties Beta Band, that laid back eclectic style, the music gives the impression that these would be a really nice set of guys to have a beer or a fat one with 😄😄
Cest bon
J'aime beaucoup la vibe. La première track me fait penser à Fleet Foxes. La voix du chanteur sur la seconde track me fait penser à Brian Wilson. Incroyable; Ready, Able c'est comme si j'étais dans l'album Shore de Fleet Foxes (que j'ai adoré). Aucune idée qu'ils avaient tout copié ici. Whitney semble aussi avoir puisé là-dedans
Veldig Morten Harket falsett. Spennende arrangement og gode melodier.
Fantastic
имба, сохранил.
On dirait si les Beatles et Arcade Fire avaient fondé un groupe à la fin des années 2000. J’ai beaucoup aimé l’ambiance et la recherche
Nebeniusstraße!
Really nostalgic album for me, takes me back to Columbus Ohio 2009 Era where i had just graduated college and was working and having fun. Great times.
Truly amazing. A breathtaking piece of work that stands alone. Beautiful.
One of my favorite albums, and one of my most listened to. I haven’t heard it in a while so this was a pleasure to revisit. All of Grizzly Bear’s albums are excellent but this one has a special place in my heart. “Two Weeks” was a ‘play on repeat for an hour straight’ song at one time for me. The songs on this album can go from campfire folk to arena-sized indie rock, and somehow the progression feels completely natural and organic. A few tracks are gently psychedelic, and the string-accompanied tracks have the scope and drama of a classic Hollywood score. The drums are a big part of what makes this album feel organic. At certain points, they flow like water over rocks. They actually swing on a few songs. Drummer Christopher Bear (amazing that that’s his real name) is incredibly talented, but he sounds relaxed too. And the vocals are wonderful. I love that there are two lead singers. Ed Droste has an angelic voice, while Daniel Rossen’s voice has a mysterious quality. The whole-band harmonies are gorgeous too and one of the defining features of the group. And I just learned that the bassist Chris Taylor produced this album, and that he’s produced all of their albums. That’s amazing. The production is incredible. It keeps all these instruments and complex arrangements in balance. Just stunning work. Check out the music video for “While You Wait For the Others.” It’s one of my favorite music videos. Great song too.
Some great post rock. Its dreamy yet focused - not that easily achieved.
Perfect album. Not too much to say, everything was perfect.
February 22, 2025 Not first listen; I’m bending the rules a little bit, and listening to tomorrow’s album tonight. No shade to Mr Costello but I already have a soft spot for Grizzly Bear. 🐻 I think I got into them around Covid Time, and between this and Yellow House (their previous album to Veckatimest), I’d say I’m a modest fan. “Two Weeks” is perfect indie pop to me, but the rest of the album doesn’t really share that flair for ear candy; the ethereal, drowsy “Cheerleader” is more indicativest of Veckatimest Much like Fleet Foxes, it seems a shame I can’t enjoy this in the mountains at dawn, but in this case it’s no less alluring in a frozen prairie at night. The cinematic instrumentation and plentiful reverb are dreamy enough to be pre-bedtime, however. HL: “Two Weeks”, “All We Ask”, “Dory”, “Ready, Able”, “While You Wait For the Others”, “I Live With You”
Hearing this album was outstanding. This was right up my alley! Going down the list I was adding every single song to my liked playlist. That hasn’t happened before since I joined this project. Chefs kiss 🤌 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I cannot believe it took me 16 years to hear this. It's that first winter's day; the gall of the curtain to replace one canvas with another mid-stroke. Velvety void that somehow shades the gradient of a lifetime's labors to dandruff lingering amongst the trees.
• Revisar más albumes de la banda. Entretenido de escuchar Buena instrumental 10/10
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest Never thought that I ever expected to be amazed at an album on this list sooner, but here we are. This might genuinely be one of my favorites albums, ever. Almost every song in here is either amazing or perfect, and also "Fine for Now" and "I Live With You" are easy contenders for greatest songs to had ever existed in my point of view. This is everything that I ever wanted for rock and classical. Just like the album cover, this is a piece of art, I really enjoyed my first listen, makes me want to forget that I listened to this album just to listen to it again for the first time, that's how good this is. This is perfect. 1.- Southern Point = 10/10 2.- Two Weeks = 10/10 3.- All We Ask = 9/10 4.- Fine for Now = 10/10 5.- Cheerleader = 9/10 6.- Dory = 8/10 7.- Ready, Able = 9/10 8.- About Face = 9/10 9.- Hold Still = 8/10 10.- While You Wait for the Others = 10/10 11.- I Live With You = 10/10 12.- Foreground = 10/10 FINAL SCORE = 9.3/10
Amazing production, infinitely interesting songs, lights out performances.
Cooooooool!
AH! Some very unexpected but very welcome accoustic atmospherics. (for a change). A welcome change and it might just be the perfect mood music for a cosy night in. But what do you call this? Starts like jazz, then gentle early 2000's Keen-ish Fleetish Foxish, and after that it edges int arty KImbra anmd then I dont have much of a reference. Its going its own way, and I like it building /as the album does a kind of progression. and its sounds on the edge of a half dozen of my favourite new bands. Song 3 and I had my finger on a rating of #5 already. Stunning finish. And all that I like. Even the cover art. And it album #572 its so enjoyable to find the unexpected novelty to delight me like this. And it ends on fun beat. A "yes" from me.
This album makes me want to put on a slouchy beanie, grab an oat milk dirty chai, and hit up my local thrift store while complaining about how I liked Portugal. The Man before “Feel It Still” got big. In other words, this shit is chicken soup for my aging hipster soul and I love it.
Just great indie Music
First time listening to Grizzly Bear. Their name implies heavier music in my mind. But I enjoy this type of music. It took about 4 listens before I started comprehending it. It's very different but it's obvious each musician is way above average. I wonder how I would've felt about this album when it was new. I wonder if much younger me would've dug this.
fantastically creepy
I really just have no words to describe how magnificent and beautiful this album is, what with its' superb production and how awe-inspiring the vocals are. Was not expecting much, but this is a very, Very, VERY easy 5 for me to give.
A perfect album from cover to cover. I actually found this album years ago in the 1001 Albums book
"Veckatimist" is the third studio album by American rock band Grizzly Bear. There are a lot of genres describing this album including psychedelic folk, indie folk, chamber pop, indie rock, pyschedelic pop and baroque. Wow! The album was produced by bassist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Taylor. The other bandmembers are Daniel Rossen (vocals, guitar, keyboards and string arrangements), Ed Droste (vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Christopher Bear (drums). The album had wide-spread critical acclaim for the band's large lead forward and its "genre blending, musical complexity and experimentation." Commercially, the album did very well reaching #8 in the US and #24 in the UK. By the way, the album was named after a small island in Dukes County, Massachusetts. A strumming anxious guitar, creeping bass and gentle drums open "Southern Point." The pace picks up with swirling keys, synth and tambourine. Strings eventually added. Very dramatic. Rossen singing almost in a whisper. Droste counterpoints in backing vocals. He's still loving someone who broke it off with him. Loud piano keys and the "Ohh-Ohh-Ohh" chorus begin the first single "Two Weeks." Droste in lead vocals. The backing chorus carries this song. He's wanting a partner to commit. A deep bass and echoing drums and we're off with "Cheerleader." Droste whispering and singing in falsetto. Great backing vocals again. Putting rules on a relationship. A beautiful song. "Ready, Able" changes things up with a fast rolling anxious beat. Distorted key strokes. Some swirling keys. Droste with subdued vocals wanting tell someone he's cheating on them. The other single is "While You Wait for the Others." A slow beginning with bass drums and guitar slashes. The song builds and slows down. Multiple harmonies...very Beach Boys-esque. This is a beautiful sounding album. It's very detailed with the choral and instrumental arrangements. I'd say the tremendous lead and backing vocals carry the songs but the placement of the instruments is so vital to the overall sound. The music is slow, dramatic, dreamy, stark and sparse. The strings add emotion. Nothing is out of place here. This album demands repeated listens which are very rewarding. A high recommendation.
Already one I listen to a lot, great album
It's a great album by a band I've never heard of before. Please, more of this instead of average music from well-known bands! Excellent.
every time a song started to make me think "4 stars," something would happen that changed my mind ☺️
Great album , loved it especially the sitar .
If you jazz fusion friends listened to the beach boys for a month.
i really REALLY like this one, alot of smooth sounds surrounded by fun discordant music. Two Weeks, Dory, and I Live with You were the standouts for me, but the whole album is amde of great songs here.
Love it
Wow i had never heard of this band or album before, but I think I will definitely be checking out more of their stuff after this. 5/5
Indie prog folk at its best. Southern Point is a journey especially.
Himym
Based on the other reviews on this site, safe to say this is a polarizing one. But it's been a favorite of mine for over a decade, so public opinion be damned -- I love it. It's melodic and beautiful without becoming predictable. It feels warm and familiar, yet somehow foreign and mysterious. It zigs when you think it'll zag. The harmonies are tight, the instrumentation is dense. It's ever interesting to me, and will be played in my home for years to come.
Never heard of this band or album and loved it! Reminds me a little of Radiohead.
Not a bad song on the album IMO. Can get a little tedious if you aren't in the mood, but certainly one of the best indie albums of the 2000s. Highlights: Two Weeks, Fine For Now, About Face
Incredibly diverse and uniform at the same time. Also, reminds me of a very particular era of Indie film.
We own this one on vinyl and it’s always been a pleasant listen, but this is the first time I’ve given it my full concentration. And man, this album is just so beautiful and unique. It’s folky and ethereal and leaves me feeling like I’ve been outside under the stars thought I know not why 🗿 4.5/5
Didn't know what to expect but this was a beautiful album.
What a wonderful surprise this was Never listened to them before but this was absolutely bewitching and impossible to second guess
Before listeneing, I would have been very surprised if the rest of the album was boring enough to bring Two Weeks down to a four star album. After listening, I'm not even sure Two Weeks is the best song on the album. This album, much like Ultra Violet by the National and every album by radiohead, make me wish I had rated every other album lower because now I want six stars for them.
Gives me cool radiohead ambient vibes from kid A
What can I say, aughts-era indie rock and ESPECIALLY 2009 is my trap card. This album is a stone cold classic in my books. Two Weeks is a top track of all time.
love!
Muito bom!!
Chill and musical. Reminds me of the stuff that led me to Tally Hall. Wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did.
One of my favorite albums of all time.
This is sufficiently quirky and also mainstream. I've heard a few of these and had assumed they were part of the Animal Collective (that's Panda Bear, not Grizzly Bear), but what do I know? uhh everything (duh). Such as... DYK Grizzly Bears make great pets? And, they can also be trained to balance balls on their noses and drive carnival cars. This Gizzly Bear Veckatimest is very enjoyable and I've decided it'll be standard listening while teaching my own Grizzly that eating people is not okay.
Ура, что-то интересное по звучанию и при этом не звучит как каша! Я падок к кантри музыке и к той музыке, которая способна меня зацепить в какой-то поток и заставить просто ехать вместе с ней. Поэтому твердая 5
Из альбома я знал только сингл Two Weeks, не знаю, каким образом я его послушал впервые, но когда добавлял себе его на Споти, чётко запомнил ощущение, что где-то его слышал. Только вот где... Мне очень нравится ритмическая структура песен. Размеры может и не самые уникальные, но как хорошо они обыгрываются. Иногда они ещё и меняются в рамках одного произведения, что добавляет интриги и "симфоничности" к звучанию. Ready, Able, например. Бас как будто в контрапункте с ударными играет. Слова тут играют явно не главную роль. Скорее, это больше как мантра; много завязано на повторениях и почти полных созвучиях, скорее, они придают композициям финальную эмоциональную окраску. Но это про слова. А вот вокал - это всё-таки неотъемлемая часть каждой композиции. Чарующий, расплывчатый, иногда записанный с многоголосием. А ещё аккордовые последовательности явно нестандартные, они как будто с потолка взяты. Теперь я понял, что имели в виду The Village в виду, когда писали статью про группу ил: по вайбу очень похоже... что-то на авангардном и импрессионистском. По той же "аккордовой" причине наверняка Two Weeks и стала такой популярной: вот там как раз всё очень стандартно, без вкраплений чего-то "будто не отсюда". Мне понравилось, хорошо подошло бы к поездкам; представляю себе сельскую местность, бескрайние поля, на которых овечки пасутся... ой, так это я в университет еду, получается. Или во, засыпать под этот альбом будет очень классно! Проблема есть только в одном: лирика. Хотя в целом, за это же я могу и свой любимый In Rainbows поругать. 5-/5, есть пару мелодических нюансов, которые показались мне странными. P.S. Взял за привычку лезть в Википедию читать про альбом до его прослушивания. Группа Beach House из примерно 4 альбомов назад в лице вокалистки Виктории Легран передаёт привет через бэк-вокал. Такие вот совпадения.
Veckatimest/Grizzly Bear defined the Brooklyn sound of the 2000-teens. Just an all star combo of musicians. Incredibly creative drumming by Chris Bear and insane guitar work from Daniel Rosen. This album has everything from the pop classics like Two Weeks to cinematic epics like Fine For Now.
Great album, and a formative one for me in expanding my musical horizons in college. My experience with this album has always been a primarily sonic one. When listening, the sounds of this album fill my head, my room. Veckatemist has an ambience all to itself. Its soundscape is distinctly American, and utterly ethereal. It’s in-your-ear cavernous. It’s music to dream too. Haunted. It lives somewhere between the spectral works of Edgar Allen Poe and the 1960’s most anxious freak folk. And yet, it is undeniably of the 21st century. Its ghosts (anxieties) could only be of this age. Its themes are deeply personal, but its lyrics are vague and riddling enough to map your own fears too. Those topics—in my estimation—run the gamut from anxious attachments, imposter syndromes, the disintegration of relationship, coping with depression, modern malaise, and an overall frustration with an inability to live in the moment. Its victories over these immense difficulties are few and far between, and when they do arrive, such as in the late-album “I Live With You,” the advice is measured. “We’ll do what we can,” Rossen echoes as the song rises to a resounding outro. Listening to Grizzly Bear’s discography chronologically is like hearing a band come together in real time. Beginning as the solo, bedroom project of co-lead vocalist Ed Droste, Grizzly Bear’s subsequent albums each sound a little more like the work of a full “band.” But each also sounds further from the haunted, intimately homespun material that gave the “band” its unique identity to begin. Especially after the success of “Two Weeks” and Veckatimest. You can hear the band, on their excellent follow up, Shields, favoring a sound that would fare a bit better on the road, on Late Night TV, and at musical festivals. What’s truly unique about Veckatimest then, is it’s recorded just before the band really, truly becomes a band. Or, it’s at least the sound of them becoming a band. For one thing, it’s unique that Droste didn’t keep Grizzly Bear a solo project with a touring band the way, say, Tame Impala did. (Also worth mentioning here that Droste isn’t even in the band anymore as he is now retired from music and pursuing a career as a therapist.) Instead he invited 3 new individuals under the moniker of his own deeply intimate project, to contribute their own intimacies into something wholly unknown that together they might eventually hone. It’s a spirit of collaboration that seems impossibly difficult. And it’s evident too on their amazing Friend EP, released two years before Veckatemist, on which they not only reworked their own songs, but invited bands like Band of Horses, CSS, and Atlas Sound in to do the same. The results of their selfless collaboration up to Veckatemist are astounding. Droste’s own advancements in songwriting are buoyed by the those of Rossen; their vocal arrangements therein buoyed by harmonies from Bear and Taylor. Then there’s the excellent (excellent!) production of Taylor, plus the choral arrangements, the string arrangements, Bear’s minimalist-yet-explosive drum patterns, the cover art, and on and on. It’s an amazing sounding, feeling record. Coming in 2009, Veckatimest hits very near the end of the freak-folk-revivalist 2000s. I’ve heard of and have always preferred to refer to this era of indie rock as New Weird America (in contrast with Old Weird America of the 1960s, 50s, and before). But of all the albums and acts that make the genre, none feel more suited for the label than Grizzly Bear’s Veckatemist. In its geography, its band name, its spirit and democracy, its soundscapes, and its anxieties; it is Weird America through and through. Side note: I said this album is cinematic—and as if to evidence such: Grizzly Bear’s music soundtracked 2 full movies of its era. One of which is Blue Valentine, another formative favorite of mine and certainly one of my favorite uses of music in film.
Two weeks is a special song to me but I hadn’t really heard the rest of the album before. Fun fact, I actually saw them open for spoon and remember the front man saying “we just want everyone to know we have more songs than Two Weeks.” And it turns out they were right. This album was a real treat.
I find that the wave of Indie Folk that this was part of can either work really well or fall completely flat for me and not much in between. Fortunately the phsycadelic vocal harmonies and the grand moments on this album really work for me and make it stand far above not only the rest of Grizzly Bears discography but one of my favourite albums of that era. What I love about this album is how well it injects pop melodies into the Grizzly Bear sound while keeping interesting sonic textures and unpredictability. Do I think this album has/will age particularly well? Possibly not, but I still think it's a standout example of the sound of the time and one I'll keep coming back to.
After a first listen I was really disappointed in the album. The first four songs were incredible, but the album fully dropped off after that. During the second listen new songs like "Ready, Able" and "Cheerleader" popped out of the album. A third listen it finally fully clicked as an entire album. I knew Grizzly Bear from when this album came out and thought for all those years this was one of those boring new-folk albums that were popular in that era. I'm glad to have been proven wrong. Really great. 4,5*
Hell yeah. Love this album.
This is an incredible album. Especially the song Ready, Able. Watch the music video too it's really good and weird.
Love this album and still occasionally put it on. One of the few CDs I bought.
2009 was a very beneficial year for the ever changing indie landscape and Grizzly Bear was one of the many bands that saw their fortunes change with Veckatimest. Rock and baroque collide to make a never ending kaleidoscope of experimental genre blending. This comes highly recommended.
Very good
Grizzly Bear clearly are very musically literate. This album can be characterized as psychedelic folk rock with electronic touches and moments that would be at home on a British alternative album from the 2000s. CSN like harmonies can be found throughout and the rhythms are varied and interesting. Grizzly Bear is a legendary band in indie circles but their music is accessible and their influences can be easily gleaned in listening.
Very easy to listen to but also very fresh
In a lot of ways, they remind me of what's so amazing about Fleet Foxes. The soothing baroque vocals, the spacious folk strings and rhythmic drumming that carry you around the room like a dreamy waltz, and a mix of psychedelic - often jazzy -- focused pieces with anthemic sing-along hits possessing standard pop structures. The first 5 tracks juxtapose each other with wonderful hooks that grab your attention. "Southern Point" reminds me of Animal Collective. "Two Weeks" is an accessible folk anthem, but actually good compared to Lumineers and Mumford and Son. "All We Ask" is Beatlesesque and reminds me much of Fleet Foxes, one of the most psychedelic tracks, swinging you in circles. "Fine For Now" sounds like midwest emo, a bit jazzy and frantic on the cymbals. "Cheerleader" follows these themes, incorporating a choir and conflicting instruments that never overwhelm you. Also fan of the drums here. "Dory" is the track that gives me the strongest Fleet Foxes vibes. A weaker track, but has some of my favorite vocals, and I'm a fan of the resolution. "Ready Able" is the best track on the album; I just need to pause and appreciate the beauty of his voice and cyclic instrumental. Incredible bridge. The next two songs are my least favorite but still very enjoyable. Picks up with "While You Wait" which feels like the start of the climax. "I Live With You" is the most ethereal track, full of angel choirs, nostalgic samples, and sudden explosions of noise coming from everywhere, closing just as chaotically but leading into the Coldplay-esque closer "Foreground." I like the calmness, but I felt it ended a bit too sudden, so either the ending could be improved or just swapped with "While You Wait." Being amazed by more than half the tracks, and still having a fine time with the few I didn't care for much, I'd say it's a perfect album, and certainly one I will revisit again and again.
nice
One of the best
Not in my edition of the book! 5 stars Came cold to this, hadn't heard of the band or the album. Surprisingly good indie-pop. All sorts of good echoes/influences in here - late 60s Beach Boys, Radiohead. On the replay list.
I thumbed up the album within 10 seconds. All of it wasn't as good as the first 10 seconds, but wow, those first ten seconds...
did not expect to like it
Easy listening, harmonies, Indy rock, alt pop meet on an excellent and exciting album
Interessant und gut. Sollte man öfters hören.
Also das ist jetzt mal wieder eine ganz eindeutige Perle. So macht man ein Album!
Очень утешает
Sounds like 2011
Très bonne musicalité, de belles propositions
Veckatimest was a surprisingly enjoyable album. I've never heard of this band prior to doing this so i didn't know what to expect but what i got here was something really enjoyable. The album shares that trait with a lot of 2000s pop rock albums in that it's very melodic and that was the main thing pushing a lot of these songs along. The musicianship was pretty good for the most part during this album but there are definitely some awkward moments throughout this album. However, they never really got too much for me to bear. I still thought that this was a very enjoyable album and certainly a solid addition to the list. Best Song: Cheerleader Worst Song: I Live With You
Nice vibes, a little bit repetitive after a few songs.
Nothing quite like some good ol' indie folk rock. I'll be honest, this is far from the most interesting or revolutionary thing I've heard in the genre, but it's just so typical of the kind of thing I would listen to that I can't help but love it. The more prominent folk influences actually keep it feeling really interesting, as it just adds another layer to it to stop the album from just being "another 2000s indie rock album." The performances too are just all around top notch, with a lot of genuine passion and emotion being on full display multiple times throughout, which again adds another layer to the depth of the music and makes it feel like there's so much more going on.
This is possibly the most British-sounding non-British band I’ve ever heard, in that slightly odd, art-school, “WTF is this?” kind of way. I can't pin them to a genre, which is maybe the point. This is music that’s not so much genre-slippery as fully genre-fluid. In some ways, this feels like what might have happened if prog had carried on evolving instead of becoming a museum piece: intricate, ambitious, strange, but still melodic and listenable. The only downside is that it took me three listens to properly get my head around it, and has therefore cost me a few days on this 1001 marathon. I'm glad I had the patience - for a change. Me likee. 4½
Never heard before. Liked better than average.
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/grizzly-bear/veckatimest/ Not equally great, but some songs are among the indie pantheon. Guess I like other albums of them better, but I do understand why this one specifically is in the list.
Quality album, two weeks is the stand out track but it all sounds good overall.
Really interesting band/album was hearing loads of different elements and influences really enjoyed it. Would need further listening
Amei!
Two Weeks, una canción que he escuchado mil veces ¡es de éste album! no lo sabía, me impresioné. Vibras de Luna Nueva, que son mis favoritas. Mis favoritas: Two Weeks, All We Ask, Cheerleader, Ready, Able,
Grizzly Bear is yet another band that I remember hearing on the radio but never followed up on. This is an interesting album; some tracks spare but not boring, some multilayered & intense with hails of swelling melodic stuff. The vocals sometimes remind me of the guy in Dirty Projectors, but the music is much less experimental than that, of course. I think this could grow on me with a second listen; at the moment it just feels like interesting background music. But who knows what the future will bring.
cool! A bit indie rock vibes. Starts off great but the album gets progressively boring…. No actually its cool. I like it.
Chill album to listen to, not my kind of favourite listen
Really well produced and high quality across the board - at its best when it lets its hair down in the crescendos. Feel like it will grow on me but great for now..
Vibes. I dig it.
No sé como explicarlo, pero este álbum me subió mucho mi animo, me alivió mi enfermedad y me motivó bastante, que buena escucha
Southern Point is a great opener. Reminds me of Animal Collective (fitting for grizzly bear). The last 15 seconds riff is cool. Fine for Now has some nice moments. The band sits in quiet lulls with poise. Fave Tracks: Southern Point, Two Weeks, Fine For Now 3.8/5
A nice and pleasant listen for my afternoon. Some of the later tracks were really nice, sort of a mellow, chill Flaming Lips kind of vibe. I'll go 4 stars here and may revisit this?
The album starts off sounding like Neil Young with a better voice. Then it takes a left turn and starts sounding like Neil Young with a better voice collaborating with The Flaming Lips. It ends up being a quite progressive album, but not in the "typical" sense of modern prog (frequently changing meters, long instrumental breaks, showy virtuosity, etc.) 4 stars.
Oh, so glad to find this here! Like meeting an old friend. Yeah, this one is hard for me. Haven’t listened to the full album in awhile. It doesn’t feel as “relevant” as it once did. But I was still glad to hear it all the way through, not just the “hits” that I still have on playlists. I saw a good deal of grumbling about its inclusion on the list in the other reviews. But you know, it really was of a time. I think I’m going a full 4, just for old times sake. Boolean rating: yes. It does belong here.
roar
3,999998
Yesterday, I had "Southern Rock Opera" by Drive-By Truckers, which I criticized for looking back too far, for imitating over innovating. A more consistent person might criticize Grizzly Bear for its clear 1960s influences, reminiscent of The Zombies or CSNY. Lucky for Grizzly Bear, I really like that era of music, and I've always had a fondness for their sound. I don't think this album needed to be on this list, but I do like it, and there are plenty of sounds that modernize it. 4 stars is probably a bit generous, but it's what my heart wants, so I'm going with that.
very nice! sounds like twilight soudtrack to me 😂
A super nice surprise. I didn’t even know this artist.
Pretty good
An enthralling mixture of indie, folk, and experimental music. Gorgeous melodies on songs like ‘While You Wait for the Others’. There’s very little to dislike about this album.
The Good: We’ve got an anagram! The Bad: Finding out that it stands for “Mike’s Cat Vet”… The Ugly: Encountering a grizzly cat… in the wild… Fuck me, the intrawebs sure does make certain people [me] go into a rabbit hole of absurdities… I blame the album… and it’s fucking tittle… which, so I’ve been told, is of Wampanoag origins.. but nobody seems to know what it means… maybe, just maybe, it means Indie Rock? Critics loved this album… me… well, I didn’t hate it… just got a little tired of it after a while. I have to add that I started listening to this around 6:15am while working on a presentation… so the music was low, and my attention was on work… Shall I just shoot this one down the middle?… As it has been a massive challenge finding listenable music post 2000, I believe I should be nice and give it a 4* and listen to it again at some point… then, if I don’t like it, I will come back and drop it to 3*
Favourite Songs: Southern Point Fine For Now Ready, Able
First I've heard of this band. Really liked it, quite dreamy
If you liked indie rock in the late 2000s this is a tentpole album and most of it still holds up. While You Wait for the Others is haunting. Two Weeks is a bop. Drags at points in the middle but most of it was fun to listen to again.
A very strong album. mid 4s for me. A couple of the tracks are GOATs.
Years ago, Two Weeks was my introduction to Grizzly Bear. It’s been a consistent and enduring favorite since. This was my first trip through the full album and I enjoyed thoroughly. Two weeks is the best though.
I like it. Some great songs on here.
Bom álbum!
I liked this one a lot. It’s got like chill indie rock vibes.
Another instance of an album containing a song I love (Two Weeks) that I never would have been able to identify. 3.5 rounded up.
Good stuff…
Pre-listen: It’s been years since I’ve listened to this all the way through because in 2009 I decided “while you wait for the others” was an amazing song and “two weeks” was a top-10 song ever, so all I’ve done since is listen to those on repeat. Post-listen: yep, still those two above everything else. “Ready, able” and “foreground” are the next tier.
This is pretty good, Two Weeks is a beautiful song that stands up well. I like the harmonies and the chilled out vibe, it's a great album for a calming atmosphere. The songs slightly blur into one for me though so I can't go too high on rating
Nice indie
I had no idea this band existed and had never heard any of the sounds, which is a shame because I really liked the album, especially the first few tracks.
A couple of real gems on this album and the melodies are class throughout.
No. 377/1001 Southern Point 3/5 Two Weeks 4/5 All We Ask 3/5 Fine For Now 4/5 Cheerleader 4/5 Dory 3/5 Ready, Able 4/5 About Face 4/5 Hold Still 3/5 While You Wait For The Others 3/5 I Live With You 3/5 Foreground 4/5 Average: 3,5 Whimsical indie-folk-rock album. Really liked the sound atmospheres they created here.
This was pretty cool. The guitars were soaked in effects and reverb. The singer gave an indie vibe reminiscent of the era, with a dash of White Album John Lennon. 4 stars.
Not something I previous had ever heard. Pleasant sound. Enjoyable but not remarkable. Ill definitely keep listening.
Good album, great vibes. Song I like: two weeks, Fine for now, Cheerleader, Ready, able,
Great one!
I was already highly familiar with the biggest song off of this album, Two Weeks, an indie masterpiece in every right, and while it is definitely the best song here no question, the rest of the album is pretty awesome too! A really great collection of really beautiful, psych-tinged indie songs, with some really awesome highs!! It’s certainly not a masterpiece by any extent of the word, and is actually a great example of how an album with 10/10 level track ratings can end up an 8, as it’s a bit too long, not the best sequenced, kinda samey at the end of the day, and doesn’t really add up to anything greater as an experience, but it’s still an awesome album that has highlight on top of highlight. Lovely album! 8.0/10
Len Houmous once got confused for a grizzly bear. There’s also rumours that he is the original big foot. 3.8 2/12 two weeks
Si hubiera habido en el siglo XXI un verano del amor como aquel de la California de los 70 seguro que Grizzly Bear hubiesen sido los hippies de entonces. A su manera, reinterpretan el folk, le ponen un poco de psicodélica y actitud indie y ya tienes un producto para gente desencantada con el mainstream. Puede atragantar un poco tanto flower power, pero bueno, siempre se agradecen propuestas nuevas, de calidad y no aburguesadas. Bienvenidos sean.
Cool, vibey, reminds me of Fleet Foxes but with more rocking instrumentation.
very pretty sounds, hazy // the guitar tones are great // at times feels a bit cheesy, but overall very very enjoyable // feels like a long lazy summer heatwave day // has a big band feel in some of the backing tracks which i very much enjoy
Groovy album. I only ever listened to a couple of songs before this, and I clearly missed out. I loved Dory! Kind of busy at work now, so no long winded review. I can definitely give this a 4.
Surprised me
Likable with a cool is not necessarily unique sound.
really enjoyed this
This is the first album & band rec here that I've never heard of, so I was excited to give it a listen. I liked it from the first song--nice guitar riff, understated vocal, then interesting rhythm section and backing vocals kick in. Some of this reminds me of Harry Nilsson ("All We Ask"), other times inspired by Wishbone Ash ("Fine for Now")--it doesn't feel like an album made in 2009, but maybe in the early 70s. "Dory" gets kind of psychedelic weird. It's very interesting and dreamlike. Pitchfork calls it "lush chamber pop" :) I haven't heard that expression before, but it fits! "Ready, Able' is a great, steady jam, and followed strongly by "About Face", but really every song has something great to it. I'll be putting this album in rotation, it's the most interesting LP I've heard in a long time.
Very indie feeling album with dreamy vibes but a lot of warmth in the tracks. Some great riffs in here and hazy vocals that have really great synergy with the overall instrumentation. 7/10, Favorite Song: While You Wait For The Others
Dit is een 3.5 voor mij, waar ik een keer naar boven afrond. Het is een influential album voor een stijl die ik gewoon tof vind. Het was wel wat te veel fluff. 3 had ook gekund maar voel me gul
Tof, 2 weeks blijft ern banger
Grizzly Bear heeft een super vet eigen geluid en dit is waarschijnlijk wel de beste plaat die ze gemaakt hebben. Tikkeltje bloated wel helaas.
Enjoyed this. Never heard of it but would have put money on the year 2009 from just listening. The most 2009 album ever made - not a bad thing in my opinion. :)
One of my favorites from the early aughts.
Have liked this band for a long time and this is one of their best albums. It’s just so intricate and rewards multiple listens. My only negative would be that it’s not quite as consistent as I’d like.
yay!
High 3/low 4. Some great moments here, some moments that fall flat but I can at least appreciate the effort on those
It took me nearly two weeks to listen to this. I know that defeats the point of the album a day thing, but I saw the cover and thought no. I was wrong. Instead of the vapid soft indie nonsense I was expecting, I was greeted with wonderfully weird indie music that owes just as much to Fleet Foxes as it does to Tame Impala. A few tracks were a bit more filler like but the variety and breadth on this album kept it interesting.
Väldigt trevligt sound från detta band! Inte deras bästa album men jäkligt trevligt ändå.
Enjoyed this one, interesting and very pretty. Mix clean, shakey graves vibe- dig it. Perhaps not something I’d revisit genre wise but it’s a sunny pleasant album
I dig it's vibe. Another artist I had no idea existed before this.
This is a pleasant indie folk listen. I've heard ot before and forgot how catchy some of these songs are. That said, if you said this wasn't for I get it. It can be a little slow at times.
Score!! This is a great album that I’d never even heard of before. This helped Howes difference between singer-songwriter music and composer-musician music - this bring the latter. Rich, unpredictable, multifaceted songs so well done
Prior knowledge: I’ve heard of this band but never listened to them, so let’s see how this is. The Apple Music description of this described it as "like the Beach Boys had been raised on Grimm's Fairy Tales instead of the sunny California coast" which sounds really awesome. Review: I'm not particularly fond of more recent indie-folk, so this doesn't mean a lot, but I think this is some of the best indie-folk I've heard that came out since, like, 2005-ish. Of course, I haven't listened to a whole lot of it because I've found I don't enjoy it, but still—just based on what I've heard. The opener, Southern Point, sets the mood for the whole thing, with a solid first few seconds and some dreamy vocals and an excellent build. However, that mood is formulaically sustained throughout, making the album a bit one note: opening, plunky notes/chord with stripped-down production, soft vocals enter, more instruments are introduced along with fuller production, cool drum bit, and rise in tension and energy for a build up, then a short, few-second drop back to quiet to end the song. The second song, Two Weeks, is an obvious highlight, with that typical slow, atmospheric indie-folk/pop sound used in movie montages. Fine For Now does the build-up part of the formula better than any other song on here. It's beautiful, with excellent production and even a section that could, dare I say, be classified as a breakdown? While the album is getting a bit repetitive by the end of Cheerleader, Dory salvages it by changing things up, with an odd, warbley opening and some stripped down acoustics before a melody enters over the chords and choir-like vocals, making way for a steadier, fuller sound. The production is, once again, really well-done. I love how the instrumentals feel as if they're constantly pulsing in and out of the songs, like the whole thing is alive and moving. And, somewhat unrelated, but I always like acoustic songs where you can hear the guitarist's fingers sliding over the strings as they switch chords. The drums and guitar on this are also particularly good. Really great production with them specifically, and some very well-placed changes in speed and volume. Ready Able continues the dramatics, with some distorted guitar and pulsing background vocals. Great riffs as well. About Face then brings in a lighter, more thoughtful tone, and Hold Still continues that energy level, quieting the latter half of the album significantly. Then While You Wait For The Others brings the energy and noise back up, with more distortion and some fast strumming. And Live With You then makes that even better, with great strings and this crashing-and-burning feeling. There's even some variety in the vocals. And holy crap around the four minute mark it becomes just a total out of body experience. The final song is Foreground, which begins with a gentle piano melody and some strings. Surprisingly, it has a fairly distinguishable vocal melody. There are some excellent, booming drums and rises in tension that never quite create a full build. There's definitely a distinct stylistic shift that makes it a good closing track—though arguably, Fine For Now would've made for a better ending. I do feel as if much of this album still falls into what I dislike about recent indie folk: it relies too much on excellent production to mask repetitive and mediocre songwriting. I wouldn't say the songwriting on this is mediocre—it's quite good, actually—but it is quite repetitive. That said, there aren't any particular flaws with any individual songs. They're all excellent on their own—they only begin to reveal their weaknesses when you have to listen to fifty minutes of them in a row. While the repetition does get frustrating, I can't bring myself to dislike this album. It's meticulous, and complex, and emotional. I don't know how to describe it. I got really annoyed at some of the repetition but I was also simultaneously blown away by every song. It somehow works. It really does. The complexity and melancholy remind me a lot of Surf's Up—they're definitely a darker Beach Boys. With the amount of production, grit, and distortion on this thing, I'm not sure if indie-folk is the right genre for it—because, while it does fall into that category, it barely stays in it whatsoever and seems to have more ambient production. Great album. It's one flaw is being repetitive. But I think the fact that the build-ups never lost their effect is a testament to how, if you make a song good enough, repetition doesn't really matter. It's an album of all the same thing because that thing is awesome and it'd be cool to just have a bunch of songs like that. Recap: Favorite songs: Two Weeks, Fine For Now, Dory, About Face, I Live With You Least favorite song: Cheerleader Comparisons: Surf's Up Rating: 4/5
This album works. The overall sound is David Bowie and the Beach Boys but updated hits. And this album isn't cold so much as distant. I could see it being used as the soundtrack to a modern dance performance.
I remember when this came out. It was a big deal on Pitchfork. I knew several people who loved this album, but I didn't really get it. I accepted that Grizzly Bear were good but just didn't resonate with me. I did however love "Two Weeks" just like everyone else. But wow, what a pleasure to revisit this album 16 years later. Perhaps it just didn't sound that great through my shitty earbuds and iPod, because this whole album is rich and warm and beautiful. I'm kind of speechless, and slightly saddened I didn't get into it earlier. This is one that I will need to get a physical copy of, and now I need to also revisit their follow-up Shields.
Gillade skivan från första låten. Har lyssnat igenom flertalet gånger. Den är möjligen lite för lång. Hade kunnat kapa 2-3 låtar. Överlag inte ett stort problem. Ett sound jag gillar. Kommer nog lyssna lite mer,.på utvalda låtar, som two weeks och about face.
i liked it but i would probably have liked it more if i still smoked weed
Nice athmospheric Indie tunes. Really enjoyed it.
3.5
### Grizzly Bear – *Veckatimest* (2009) **In-depth review focused on lyrics, music, production, themes & influence** --- ### 🎼 1. Music – harmonic labyrinth, never a wasted note - **Orchestral indie-rock**: every track is chamber-sized, stuffed with contrapuntal guitars, woodwinds, brass, youth-choir harmonies and electronics that drift in like ghosts. - **Time-feel trickery**: odd bars, displaced accents and sudden meter switches (5/4 pivots in “Southern Point”, 7-beat loops in “Fine for Now”) keep the listener off-balance yet somehow swaying. - **Tonal palette**: major-7th and add-9 guitar voicings give the record its perpetual “golden-hour” glow; Chris Taylor’s bass lines act as the *glue* that stops the chordal kaleidoscope from toppling into chaos . - **Drums as narrative**: Christopher Bear alternates between jazz-swing brushwork, marching-band snare rolls and arena-sized tom crescendos; the kit is mixed so that every skin becomes a melodic voice rather than mere time-keeper . --- ### 🎧 2. Production – a perfectionist’s diorama - **Self-produced by bassist Chris Taylor** in makeshift Brooklyn spaces, then polished at Allaire and Manhattan Center: the record is both intimate and cinemascopic. - **Layering without clutter**: every frequency pocket is carved with surgical EQ; vocal stacks (sometimes 15+ passes) feel airy rather than claustrophobic. - **Dynamic contrast**: verses sit at whisper-level, choruses explode but never squash; the master retains 9–10 dB of crest factor, rare for a 2009 indie release. - **Vinyl re-issue (VMP, 2022)**: half-speed 45 rpm cut by Barry Grint lifts transient detail and exposes just how much sub-bass information Taylor tucked beneath the acoustic instruments . --- ### ✍️ 3. Lyrics – oblique postcards from liminal spaces - **Core trope**: returning to a place (literal island, childhood house, lover’s memory) only to find it emotionally un-inhabited. - **Narrative mode**: second-person fragments (“don’t wait for the others to tell you…”) that implicate the listener, leaving stories half-finished. - **Stand-out moments**: – *Two Weeks*: sugary hook masks dread of imminent break-up; the repeated “I told you…” becomes a ticking clock. – *While You Wait for the Others*: sneering guitar mirrors lyrical jab at group-think and emotional passivity . – *Fine for Now*: mantra-like title phrase = resignation as coping mechanism. - **Weak spots**: occasional tracks (“About Face”, “Hold Still”) feel like sketchbook exercises; lyrics hover too weightlessly to anchor the gorgeous arrangement underneath . --- ### 🌌 4. Themes – what is *Veckatimest* *about*? 1. **Memory vs. geography** – the titular uninhabited islet near Martha’s Vineyard becomes a metaphor for any relationship you can locate on a map but not in present time. 2. **Fragile masculinity** – male voices confess fear, jealousy and tenderness without indie-macho bravado, a rarity in 2009 blog-rock. 3. **Urban anxiety / pastoral escape** – Brooklyn clatter (subway field-recordings, taxi horns) is implicit even when arrangements flirt with Appalachian campfire or Laurel-Canyon harmonies. 4. **Collective harmony** – the Brooklyn Youth Choir’s wordless interjections suggest that catharsis is communal, not solitary. --- ### 🌊 5. Influence & legacy - **Raised the production bar for indie**: after *Veckatimest*, lo-fi was no longer the default aesthetic; even bedroom bands aspired to orchestral clarity . - **Bridge to 2010s festival rock** – Fleet Foxes’ *Helplessness Blues*, Arcade Fire’s *Reflektor*, and Bon Iver’s self-titled record all borrow its choir-plus-brass maximalism. - **Vocal-arrangement template** – Whitney, HAIM and The Lemon Twigs cite Grizzly Bear’s inter-locking male falsetto as a harmony roadmap. - **Sampling cachet** – “Two Weeks” spawned G.O.O.D. Music’s “Two Words” flip and numerous TikTok loops, cementing the melody in the collective meme-bank. --- ### ✅ Pros - Lush yet transparent production; every instrument breathes. - Harmonic sophistication that still hooks on first listen. - Dual lead voices (Droste’s angelic alto vs. Rossen’s ragged tenor) create emotional push-pull. - Drumming that swings, stomps and whispers—often inside one bar. - Set a new benchmark for 21st-century indie craftsmanship; still sounds fresh 15 years on. --- ### ❌ Cons - **Mid-album sag**: “About Face” & “Hold Still” are atmospheric but melodically under-written; momentum dips before the killer closing triptych . - **Lyrics can default to prettily vague**—when the music is this meticulous, the words occasionally feel like after-thoughts . - **Runtime**: 52 min of mostly mid-tempos; some listeners find it samey despite the rhythmic trick-bag. - **Not immediate**: complex arrangements and oblique vocals demand multiple focused listens—anathema to playlist culture. --- ### Verdict *Veckatimest* is indie-rock’s *Pet Sounds* for the post-Auto-Tune era: painstakingly layered, emotionally elusive, sonically flawless. Its few under-cooked moments are outweighed by the sheer compositional daring and influential ripple it sent through 2010s guitar music. Slip on headphones, grab the lyric sheet, and let the island of Grizzly Bear’s imagination pull you offshore—just don’t expect to set foot on solid ground again.
I don’t mind me a bit of 2000s psyindiefolkwankery; Midlake, Fleet Foxes and these guys etc. It’s just nice and chilled, good harmonies and with a bit of musical variation and subtleties thrown in. Doesn’t blow your socks off as such, but just nicely put together.
everybody and my homies loves two weeks Would I listen again: yes Deserves to be on this list: probably 4.3
Lush and enjoyable. Musically interesting.
love this album! one of the best indie rock from the 2000s
According to Kirill, this is some absolute Nick Phelan music. And I guess he's right.
the kind of folksy bullshit that would be named after a small massachusetts island, but with choral arrangements and vocal harmonies. very very solid, consistent, pretty tight. Two Weeks gets a lot of radioplay but While You Wait For The Others is probably my favorite. honestly just a couple more bangers could wring a fifth star out of it
Pretty good album, interesting and a little strange, would listen to again 7/10
I can't say I think this is a work of genius or anything, but it is really well done, and I did enjoy it. It can feel toothless at times, but it does have a lot going on, much more than many other indie rock that stands off too many edges.
This is a tweeter… really like Two Weeks and Foreground. Rest of the album is good, not great. Rounding up because these guys always seem to pop up on my playlists so giving them some props. 3.5/5
Some really great tracks on this album and also a few folk-indy that don't really do it for me. I remember listening to this many years ago and probably haven't touched this album in 15 years. I'll round up to a 4
They're very good - this was enjoyable.
Great album. I wish I could give 4.5. Only a 4 because it pales compared to Shields.
All in all, this is a solid indie album. Do I like stuff a little rougher round the edges? Yes. But do I also like sonically pleasing music? Definitely, yes. I've seen these guys several times up here in the Pacific NW....and I enjoyed nodding my head to their beat....solid 4 stars.
80
this is the good shit. late 2000s, what a grand old time
Yeah.... really like this. My old roommate got me onto this album when it came out and I've always liked it.
I knew maybe two songs from Grizzly Bear. One being Two Weeks from this album. And I liked both songs but for some reason I never decided to check out more of their stuff. And I should have, because this was very enjoyable. Will definitely listen again. Side note: why are so many reviews on here acting like this is some kind of stomp clamp, Mumford and Sons-esque album? Multiple reviews mention banjo and mandolin; instruments that are never once used in this album. Do people even listen to the albums before they write their reviews?
Knew 1 song from before
First half blew me away, second half couldn’t take it home
Some absolutely fantastic tracks here, most notably "Two Weeks". Adored the album on release, and personally think it holds up very well.
I did not know the artist, but I liked the album so much. My favorites at first listen: Two Weeks, Southern Point and Cheerleader
Jay-Z loves these guys. I can see why. They’re great.
Very nice throwback, hadn’t thought of this one in awhile. Probably not on my list, but definitely very good.
I Nevermind a little Grizzly Bear.
I think I'd give this multiple listens over time.
riktigt bra, har liksom inget att klaga på, men fick inte den där wow-känslan som man får av det allra bästa
Tog mig flera lyssnar men växer mer och mer? Gillar verkligen de mäktigare/mörkare låtarna mest, några riktigt coola grejer mot slutet som är bra inspo :)
This one took a while not because I didn’t like it but I REALLY liked and wanted to listen to it a few more times before writing it up. It reminded me of Fleet Foxes, Moody Blues and Alt-J mixes together. Songs like Dory really had the classic story telling feel of the 1960s early prog bands, while songs like Southern Point had the early-00s Indie vibe. Ready Able really has the Fleet Foxes feel but is their own work. I had never heard this album and probably would have never had it not bee on this list. I’m downloading this onto the phone for a few more listens!
Random thoughts: * I know the song "Two Weeks" quite well and it pops up in any indie music feed on Spotify regularly. * I never ventured to listen to the whole album. Best explanation I can come up with is because I had a young child when this album came out. * This music is directly up my alley and I liked the whole album a bunch. It falls somewhere between Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens. * I always thought Grizzly Bear was part of Animal Collective but apparently only Panda Bear is part of Animal Collective. * Side note: The "animal" indie band names of recent vintage are seriously just too many: Panda Bear, Grizzly Bear, Tame Impala, The Mountain Goats, Animal Collective, Glass Animals, Fleet Foxes. Those are just off the the top of my head. I'm sure you can come up with three more that I forgot at this moment. * I didn't realize it at first but I've saved and listened to a couple of other Grizzly Bear albums. I'll need to add this one to the saved list and revisit on occasion.
A classic from the year I turned 18. I still remember telling Sam that I was surprised Ed Droste was gay and he was like, “really, with this music?” And I kinda get it, there’s a flamboyance and showiness to the orchestration. I once considered Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective, Deerhunter and Grizzly Bear as the Mount Rushmore of ‘00s indie rock. Grizzly Bear at Primavera Sound in 2010 or 2011 felt like the best show I had ever seen. It has been ages since I’ve listened to this though. Might be at risk of underrating this as I’m shocked to see it isn’t as adored as I expected.
This one was pretty cool
bin sogar einigermasse ready für indie 2000er shit. erste song no nicr, big instrumentierig. two weeks kenni! glaub am schluss vo how i met your mother folg gloffe oder so? sehr indie wo a de gfühl zehrt. machts sehr guet. s klavier isch chli sehr cheesy. okay aber d drums sind premium. all we ask lehnt chli meh zrugg aber s luftige arrangement macht sehr viel sinn für de song und i liek :) cheerleader sehr cooli spring reverb es tönt alles sehr warm aber auelancholisch. würkli cool. dory seehr cooli chords? es macht komischi sache? sehr nice. ich lieb d bassklarinette uf about face es sött meh bassklarinette geh uf de welt. he ich finds im ernst huere guet. while you wait for the others isch suuuuper. nico muhly chorarrangement glaub? ah nai aber chor cool. würkli guuuete song.
Great album
Really cool sound / textures. Desne yet approachable.
This was sooo chilled and refreshing
I used to listen to Two Weeks on repeat in my freshman year of college, yet I never thought to check out the album. i don’t enjoy any of the songs as much as that one but there’s a lot of gems on here. The vocals are just magic at times. Some snoozefests of songs, but a lot of standouts as well.
Dreamlike....nothing outstanding but sometimes peace is derived when the music simply washes over and it's there lies the beauty of the album.
Accusations of hipster nonsense be damned, this is a cut above.
Pretty good, chill. Never listened to the full album.
Nice experimental/psychedelic music.
It was quite soothing. I liked it
Det va ikke så verst, men ikke så interessant heller. Dog endte æ opp med å høre på Nine Inch Nails og den her ganske rett etter hverandre, og sånn sett va det litt ørebalsam, så det va fint.
An ethereal blend of folk riffs with an indie twist. Loved this!
Richiede forse un pochino di tempo in più. Ad ogni modo tipo la prima canzone molto bella che si chiama southern point e la seconda metà l'ho ascoltata con meno attenzione sinceramente, però un disco che sicuramente rivisiterò a tempo debito. alcune canzoni le conoscevo già. comunque veramente una bella sorpresa
Really interesting listen. Enjoyed very much all the way through. Very varied and lots going on. I reckon I would listen again, and to other material by the same artist.
What can I say, I'm a sucker for dreary toss
Started of VERY well, but the further it went, the less interesting it got. Still, a nice album. But, at the end, few last songs made it better again. Kinda good way to put the songs in an album - good start, good end... ehh, let's forget the middle.
I wasn’t too keen hearing this the first time through, but upon the second playing my enjoyment went up considerably.. it’s a slow burn for sure and I’m glad I didn’t give it up right away. I’ll probably come back to Grizzly Bears and eventually love them but as a brand new artist/album this was solid. 3.75/5
Pretty solid “indie” rock here. Have always liked this album, but I had to remind myself several times throughout the day what the day’s album was. Huh.
Geinige indiemuziek, beetje Coldplay-achtige zang maar dan minder kaal. Creatief, leuk, maar ik vraag me af of ik volgende week nog weet dat dit bestaat.
Best een aardig album. Het heeft iets van Britpop met die langgerekt, soms zeurende zang. Maar het zijn Amerikanen en het gemaakte Britse accent is er nu dan ook niet. En dat maakt wel verschil. Grappig dat ik dat een uur geleden andersom merkte bij Marty Robbins. Daar was het fijn dat hij niet zo'n gemaakte amerikaanse country stem gebruikte. Nu de grootste ergernis er niet is, resteert eigenlijk best fijne luistermuziek. Het blijft wat in de rustige sfeer. Maar daarbinnen varieert het wel wat. Al zijn de radio-klanken van de hit wel een uitzondering op het album. Blijkbaar komt de betere britpop toch uit Amerika.
I was vaguely familiar with GB. Sounds a bit like Fleet Foxes. Gorgeous ambience. Gentle harmonies. Great way to start a relaxing day.
No expectations first-hand, but it was kinda surprisingly good! Loved it!
Interesting album. 4 stars
I really like "while you wait for the others" and "foreground". I might actually try more of them!
Cool mellow indie vibes
Cutsey folky indie
An amazing record. I think I prefer yellow house but it’s an excellent harmony blend with cool folk and slightly psychedelic baroque twinges.
Interesting. Fresh. Somehow reminiscent of The Beach Boys.
Unexpected to see this on the list. It is a great album and definitely helped build the genre of indie rock but unsure how it holds up against some of the greatest albums of all time. Strong continuity from one song to the next but also not a lot of diversity between songs.
Supposedly "foundational indie". Idc what it is. It's pretty good I actually really like it. No real substance to the lyrics (or maybe I'm missing something) but the guy has a pretty voice and the beats are great.
This was pretty good. I liked it.
this one takes me back a little. 'two weeks' was a heavy hitter for me at the time, so it was nice to come back to it. i bought this album at the time on the strength of my love of 'two weeks' and i remember liking it but not having very strong feelings about it. upon relistening to it now, i kind of mostly feel the same. there is clearly one track that is above all the others. there's nothing bad here. it's an interesting album that feels akin to perhaps a fleet foxes at points, but also has its own identity. there are some really interesting, creative passages here. but the bulk of this album is good, not great. i still like it!
almost too consistent
Hadn't heard this in well over a decade, and was expecting to rate it down appropriately. But the absolutely sublime production won me over, again. A beautifully crafted album.
Solid
Funky, fresh, unique. This felt like a breath of fresh air. Cool production. I enjoy the harmonies too.
The epitome of early 2010s era hipster music
Surprisingly good chill vibes.
Cool indie, I dig it
Je me souviens quand grizzly bear était « all the rage » dans le monde de la musique indie! Malheureusement étant le contrarien que je suis, je n’avais jamais écouté cet album. Je connais bien par contre leur album d’après, Shields, excellent au demeurant. Bref c’est bon, c’est créatif, ça touche à tout… mais ça ne m’émeut pas vraiment!
So hipster.
I really liked this album. Never heard of them before
No private session used for spotify. Didn't know what I was getting into, though I realize I have heard "Two Weeks" at some point. I listened to this album twice, I like it it's mellow but builds up to chaos nicely at some points. It kind of reminded me of Jeff Buckley at some points.
Geweldig mooi gemaakt, maar op een paar nummers na niet boeiend genoeg. Net aan 4.
dreamy album, great instrumentals, really good
At first, this album may feel uninteresting or that it lacks ideas. But with more and more listens, it started growing on me. It offers a very relaxing and soothing experience thanks to the very clear production and the meticulous ways of playing and singing, both also hide some details and ideas which I could only appreciate with more and more listens.
quite fun!
Agree that this album was probably over 2 songs in. I actually saw Grizzly Bear live when they toured this album. It was pretty boring. Not sure why everyone sang like that in the early otts lol. I imagine hearing isolated vocals would be embarrassing. It almost feels akin to the transatlantic accent. Like role playing you're some vintage steam punk captain haha. EXCEPT! Southern Point and Two Weeks. Those songs are legit adventures! I believe they make this album list-worthy. A lot of albums on the list are kept afloat by just a track or two. Which I don't think is a bad thing. Otherwise, yeah, this album woulda sank like most early ott indie rock. Oh and While You Wait isn't bad either. Just gotta suspend disbelief and surrender to the handlebar mustache. 3.5
Really enjoyed it
I remember loving this album when it came out. I was in the Peace Corps and I would have it in my headphones when I was traveling around by bus/van. It’s a grand sound that is able to make everything feel epic. Taking cues from The Beach Boys, Grizzly Bear harmonizes and leans into big percussion. The early 2010s were riddled with ho-hey stomp-claps, and this album has a little of that, which doesn’t hold up particularly well. Other than that I loved it.
esse me deu vontade de fingir doença no trabalho pra pegar o carro e pegar uma estradinha cabulosa
gostosim no azeite. indiezao daquele modelo
Strange to the ear but i dig it.
Pretty unique and brings back nostalgia for the two hits I knew
ummmmm i have already written my review I don't know why it didn't save it sounded like fleetwood mac had a baby with the beatles and is going through its 13 year old punk phase would recommend I like the first song and dory
I surprisingly really fuck with this. The first song I had mixed feelings, it was conflicted because I wasn’t sure whether it was great or odd. But the sample in the second song I’m sorry I really love it. It isn’t something I’d typically reach for but I like it. The outro solo in Fine For Now - wow. I probably have to sit and listen to it again to gain like a true grasp on the album, but I like it I think it was just the right vibe for today. 🥇Two Weeks🥈While You Wait For The Others🥉Fine For Now
i love grizzly bear!! the atmosphere created by this album is so vivid and consistent that i cant help but love it. obviously two weeks is a standout track. im gonna give it a 4/5 because whilst everything is so consistent and well done (production, melodic/rhythmic choices, timbre), i dont think it has the same intergenerational hold and significance that are you experienced has (which is my only 5 so im basing my ratings off that). probably my second or third favourite album so far
Enjoyable lush indie rock. I’m not running out to tell all my friends about it, but I’ll probably listen again
Great find
This is an indie rock album from the 2000s that has such a charming feeling. I recognized the name and knew it would be really good. They had some elements of psychedelia that reminded me on tame impala but also that classic indie feel. One thing that stood out to me was their harmonics and how it seemed so effortless and blended in with the rest of the music so well.
Pretty good but some mid songs
I already love the song Two Weeks so was looking forward to hear the whole album it features on. A good album, I also really liked All We Ask.
Hard to describe this album, I felt engaged and felt each track had a slight different idea whilst sticking to the general feel of the album. Quite nice, could see myself putting this on during a late night
Love this album. (25 known/48 new)
Ultimately I think there is only so much you can do with dreamy-indie music, but these guys have done a great job. This album is very pretty, it's spacious, and isn't just a rehash of every similar album that precedes it. Quite nice.
2000s indie rock will always hit the spot for me. Two Weeks is the most nostalgic song and the whole album is pretty solid.
Great record that I am embarrassed to say that I haven't listened through fully yet before today. It's interesting hearing some of these other tracks that I'm not super familiar with. The singer's voice sounds pretty different at times, almost theatrical. Track 1 has some real "this should be in a musical" moments. "Two Weeks" is the big star here, and one of the greatest indie songs ever made. I only need to hear the slightest fraction of a second of the intro before I'm transported back to a really vivid time of my life- being in college, in love (same person as today!), having more friends than ever, having so many new bands and albums to listen to. If I can humor myself and attempt to remove my nostalgic bias for this track, I think it's objectively an incredible piece of songwriting. The drums always stood out to me, with their constant fluttering snare rolls that accent in this "here and there" almost ship rocking back and forth manner. That ride groove that happens only at the end- at 3:37 is incredible, and such a small element that enhances the groove tenfold. I love when a band can take layers and layers of unique ideas and somehow make it all homogeneous and catchy- it's one of the more impressive things in music. I also love when songwriters play around with conventions with mood, as while this song has an upbeat airy-ness to it, its lyrics seem to be about a relationship that is struggling (funny enough, if you look them up on genius.com, you can see that the singer Ed Droste actually has gone in there and made some verified annotations to more fully explain the lyrics!). One more note on this song- I think the overall unique style is something that made me gravitate towards it originally, and then also has made it stick around. For me I really enjoy the puzzle of analyzing a song and pulling out the pieces to see how it all works, and this song upon first few listens was tough for me to pull apart. To this day, ~15 years later hearing this song and having that many years to become a better musician, I would still find it hard if I was asked to replicate this song. It's so unique! Ok one final final note - I'm playing this song right now at 9am on a Thursday and there's a bird outside of my window just screaming away- so I guess it's not only meant for humans. Big points for that. Great album art too- they should put this on t-shirts! I'm really looking forward to my main 1001 album partner's review of this one :)
Really loved this album when it first came out. Great vibe music for the time. Hasn't aged as well as I'd hoped, but still good.
Psychedelic sixties rock mixed with ‘00s indie pop. Great stuff. Two weeks is one of the best songs ever made
Favourite songs: - Two Weeks - I Live With You
There's something weird here.
Isn’t it strange how some albums grow on you? On first listen this was a 2 but something compelled me to re listen a few times and now it’s a3.5 to 4. How does that work?
might grow on me but for my first listen I found it to be a very well textured and detailed indie album with songs that constantly build and add ideas as they progress, very few moments that are not rewarding to listen to
I didn’t care for this much back in the 2010s but listening now I get a different vibe. Beautiful album to sleep to.
Veckatimest is a beautifully textured and layered album that showcases Grizzly Bear's unique ability to craft intricate sonic landscapes. The production and mixing are impressive, with every instrument carefully placed in a rich tapestry of sound that invites you to immerse yourself fully. The album’s texture is undeniably one of its biggest strengths. The layered harmonies and meticulous arrangements create a soundscape that feels both expansive and intimate. I love how each track seems to reveal new details upon repeated listens. The guitars, often treated with effects that give them a shimmering quality, seamlessly blend with the atmospheric keyboards and subtle percussion. The bass provides a solid yet unobtrusive foundation, allowing the interplay of acoustic and electric elements to shine. The mixing is near flawless, giving each instrument space while blending them into a cohesive whole. The production captures the band's raw energy with a perfect balance of clarity and warmth. From gentle strumming in quieter moments to powerful build-ups, every detail feels meticulously crafted. The result is a sonically rich album that remains engaging and satisfying throughout. That said, while I appreciate the rich, layered approach, at times the complexity of the arrangements can feel a bit overwhelming. Some songs occasionally lose focus in the abundance of textures, making it challenging to identify a central theme or hook. There are moments when the sheer density of the instrumentation can make the overall mood feel slightly indulgent rather than emotionally direct. Overall, Veckatimest is a striking album that stands out for its beautiful sonic craftsmanship and intricate production. It’s an album that rewards careful listening with its rich details and expertly woven layers, even if some parts can feel a bit overworked. For me, it’s a solid 3.8/5. a compelling, if sometimes overly dense, exploration of sound that highlights Grizzly Bear’s distinctive approach to indie rock.
7/10 Very sweet, akin to a Merryweather Post Pavilion, a nice intersection between slightly weirdo prog Indie music and incredibly sweet psychedelic Pop music. The Folk and string instrumentation all over the record is luscious, it’s what Derick P. Ass refers to as “dynamic”, you can’t hate the sound of this record at all. Songwriting its short and simple but gets the job done. I think what I sort of lack from this record is a more adventurous edge, there are ideas on here that feel like a much more interesting route but it doesn’t quite seem to want to take it that far, so it sort of stagnates just a bit when we keep dwelling on the short snippets of what could be. It could’ve been a compromise to release a more palatable album, but I can’t judge it too much for attempting that, I guess I just wish that if they restrained themselves, that they at the very least made greater or more interesting deep cuts than just pretty decent songs. I can see why women would choose this over men
You know, if I had a nickel for every 2009 indie album I got in this past week, I would have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. Anyways, between Wild Beasts's Two Dancers and Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest, I strongly prefer Veckatimest. This is a pretty good album! I don't know what it is, but I actually enjoy this album. I think the style is pretty cool. It feels fairly modern while still having some psychedelic elements in there for good measure. The genre-blend is very respectable. The vocals are nice. The album is a bit long, but it's not insanely long or anything. The songs are good. "Two Weeks" is actually a pretty popular song, and deservedly so. It's great. Admittedly, I'm not sure that this album is truly necessary to listen to before death. However, I am not upset in the slightest that I did listen to it before I inevitably die. Low 4/5.
Pretty good sound. Quirky rock
This was so so close to the Elbow-y kind of drivel I hate, but somehow it landed just the right side of my taste. I don't know how. Maybe the tonality. Maybe it just fit my mood. But I went for a lovely walk in the April sun watching all these different groups of friends picnicking and the soundtrack just fit. It made me happy, simple as that :)
Tracks: "Fine For Now" and "About Face" have a nice, chill seventies vibe. The rest of the album wasn't bad, but wasn't enough to warrant a five star rating.
First heard of Grizzly Bear when I was younger - my friends and I would always watch the Ready, Able music video because of how weird and interesting it was. The record was cool. Didn’t blow me away but I could vibe with it! Favorites: Two Weeks, Cheerleader, Ready Able
8.5/10 Favorite Tracks: Two Weeks, Dory, Ready,Able, While you wait for the others, I Live with You, Foreground Least Favorite Tracks: Fine for Now, Cheerleader
Sophisticated indie from the late noughts, with many original chord progressions and a couple of off-kilter rhythms thrown in for good measure (see what I did there?). The middle section of this LP is a little too static to fully impress (maybe getting rid of drowsy cuts such as "Dory" and "Ready, Able" wouldn't have harmed what is originally a 52 minute-long album). But the couple of songs starting the LP (the lively and unpredictable "Southern Point", followed by the pop-infused "Two Weeks" and its immediately catchy background vocals) are rather wonderful. And when Grizzly Bear finally wake up from their hibernation on "You Wait For The Others" they indeed prove what they are capable of "when they try and meet the pop-inclined listener halfway" to use Pitchfork's words. Too bad they don't do that as much during the course of this album. Right after this feat, "I Live With You" is a rather interesting and extravagant experiment with strange and obsessive patterns. And closer "Foreground" is an autumnal ballad for the ages, worthy of the best ones penned by Radiohead. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) Number of albums left to review: around forty, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 455 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 271 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 327
Generally not my kind of thing, but this is just so well done
Love Two Weeks. A great chill vibe witha strong dash of melancholy throughout the album
Haunting and brilliant.
I have not thought about Grizzly Bear for years. I used to listen to their album that came out before this one, “Yellow House” a lot when it came out but never listened to this one much. It sounds very much like a product of its time but it’s a lot better and more interesting than I expected it would be after all these years. Cool that Grizzly Bear is on this list.
Great album. In my listening routine for years
I listened to it three times in one day and still have no idea what i think about it. It's like a transmission from another planet is that is almost the same as ours but not quite. But I don't hate it.
I forgot how much I loved this album. It was in heavy rotation in 2009/10. So different yet so familiar. The melancholy, soaring harmonies. The base drum and percussion. The harp, piano and acoustic guitar. The music rising and falling.
Surprisingly good. I'd heard one or two of the tracks before, which surprised me as the name didn't ring a bell. I'll probably revisit this one again.
Some pink Floyd vibes!
I like this record, not perfect but solid throughout
Enjoyed this, probably gonna look into them a little more.
This album kind of hooked me from the beginning. I really loved the huge sounding percussion and song writing. It lost a little steam for me towards the middle, but overall I really liked it and will want to listen to it again soon. 3.75/5
Listened to this when it was new. Liked it then, like it more now. The back half is really good. 3.75/5
3,5/5 I can see myself giving it 3 another day.
Całkiem spoko. Daję 4, ale tak jak z płytą the Flaming Lips, to takie 3,5. Raczej spokojna całość i kojący wokal, dzieje się niekiedy ciekawie jeśli chodzi o warstwę muzyczną. Top kawałki: "Cheerleader", "Ready, able", zostają w głowie Najsłabszy dla mnie pierwszy utwór i imo oderwany stylistycznie od reszty płyty, dziwny, mylący wstęp.
I love this album. At times it gets a bit too hipster but I don't mind. It's a great mellow listen.
Anspruchsvoll arrangierte und komponierte Musik von Grizzly Bear mit harmonischen Gesangseinlagen Like The Beach Boys.
Clearly this a lot of love and care went into the making of this album, with plenty of rococo finery in the elaborate ornate arrangements. It does have the hallmark of a film soundtrack which means it can stray into sounding like background music. I think it lacks bite to make it truly great. But it is a very pleasant record.
Perfectly nice album. I'm not sure what would make it stand head above others to make this list, but I enjoyed listening to it.