Reviews (page 5 of 9)
"Veckatimest" is an album characterized by its intricate and layered compositions, often using a string quartet approach and choral-like vocal arrangements. Grizzly Bear appears to intentionally fill every minute moment of this album with a sound or musical accent, maintaining a relentless pace until halfway through the album, where they allow "Dory" to take the album's first breath. The songs do not follow traditional pop structures, the album begins with "Southern Pont," a somewhat disorienting psychedelic acoustic guitar piece that establishes the album's overall tempo. Notable tracks include "Two Weeks," "While You Wait For The Others," and the nearly operatic "I Will Live For You." The album concludes with "Foreground," a softer, gentler piece that explores striving to escape the mundane aspects of life, which likely reflects the overarching sound and theme of the album. This is a grand album, meticulously crafted and sonically diverse, yet it presents a challenge for listeners to fully grasp its rhythm and grooves in a single listen, potentially leading some to pass on a second try.
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.
Only two good songs on this album
I found this pretty boring. It kind of just drifted by without anything really grabbing me. The production is clean and the harmonies are nice, but the songs all sort of blended together into one long, sleepy listen. Maybe it’s meant to be more of a mood album, but for me, it just didn’t leave much of an impression.
Mid-2000s indie/alt band. Two Weeks is a good song. Fine for Now is a pretty good song. Most of it sounds pretty generic for the time, like Fleet Foxes and some songs a mix of Arcade Fire, but not as good. Which is probably what they were going for minus the not as good part. In theory it should be great but it's just okay.
I just don't know. Maybe it's bad timing, but I was very bored with this album. It should be right up my alley, but it lacks the magic of others in its genre.
Okay
This album is a vibe. Very "early 2000s" in the ethereal folk/rock realm, but perhaps a more tasteful offering amongst the reams of drek.
Pretty good but some mid songs
Too sad
Eeeeh correct
There is exactly one track on this album worth a damn: "Two Weeks". Were it not for this track, it would be a solid 1/5. Instead, I'll give it a 2/5.
All I heard was a bunch of newbies practicing in their basement. It's okay Favorite Track: "Two Weeks".
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.
Starting my day by saying, "Oh cool, it's that album with that one-hit wonder from high school I really liked," never ends well. Two Weeks always slaps though.
This was a little too quiet and serene for me.
It wouldn't be indie without being pretentious and this certainly fulfills that requirement along with being sad, depressing and moody.
Cool and fun album
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
Boring.
Interesting sounds, but not memorable
Not particularly memorable for me.
Love this album. (25 known/48 new)
I'm not sure where I really land on this - not bad, but nothing really stood out?
Big snooze-fest here. Who is this music made for? It just feels so vapid. I recently read an article about the dumbing down of music and this album really feels like a perfect reference for that.
Like 2-3 good songs
er bestaan dus blijkbaar bands wie gemeend radiohead als helden hebben en ze dan ook imiteren... deze mensen worden dringend verzocht hun hoofd na te laten kijken
I’d like to know the bands ethos and intent with making this album. Because I think it’s great background indie music, meant to sit out of focus or accompany another activity. Nothing offensive, few moments where they break into a sound thats more loud or focused. Those moments are my highlights! “Two Weeks” is an Arcade-Fire-style classic. The last minute of “I Live With You” gets exciting. And “Foreground” is very aptly named, as it’s more captivating of the listeners attention than most songs on here. Put this on as you go for a long PNW drive / 5
Nebeniusstraße!
I’ve heard of the bear but not the band. Listening to this album, I think I’d rather be attacked by a real grizzly bear.
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.
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.
Most Indie music that came out after the turn of the century really doesn't do much for me, and this album has not changed my opinion. Once Indie became a genre instead of just being a label for independent artists, I really lost interest. None of it is bad, but it all just sounds the same now and I just find it really boring for the most part. Every once in a while this album has a unique/interesting part, but a lot of this album ends up feeling the same especially after 8th or 9th track. I think it is the production that is really throwing me off here too. It seems a little over produced, like the underlying songs are good/fine, but the production on the more upbeat songs just makes it sound like generic radio music. Mid 3.
if it werent for Two Weeks I wouldnt have recognized a single note on this album. Another indie pop rock snoozer in most places, being different for the sake of being different. Maybe I'm a dick for saying that, but its just too depressing in places and giving me very gray and low vibes. pass.
Man this album was EVERYWHERE for a hot minute in 2009. “Two Weeks” was a big hit for good reason and is the only thing saving this mostly boring indie album from being a 2 star special. Literally nothing else made an impression on me.
Unfortunately i hear a lot of bands who sound like this nowadays so I dont think they really belong here. Still I like this sound so I had fun
Truly amazing. A breathtaking piece of work that stands alone. Beautiful.
Two Weeks is an absolute banger to this day, the rest has kinda fallen off for me over the years though. Still a fairly solid 3.5 overall, just not all that special as it seemed to me in 09 lol
2000s indie rock will always hit the spot for me. Two Weeks is the most nostalgic song and the whole album is pretty solid.
For as good as “Two Weeks” is, this album is shockingly incoherent. Mumbly nonsense.
A little too mid tempo sameness for me. I didn’t hate it - would be good background music but just wasn’t memorable. Eight hours latter and really don’t remember any of the songs.
Some very good parts.
Indistinguishable clamoring of some NY hipster indie darlings
Got a bit boring at the end, but I still enjoyed it, even if it doesn't belong here. Fav song: Ready, Able Least fav song: Foreground
I really liked Two Weeks, but I knew that song before listening to the full album. The rest of it didn’t capture me and was alright.
I feel like I've heard this a thousand times, and it has been rubbish every time.
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.
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 :)
To light and weird for me didn't finish it.
Some great post rock. Its dreamy yet focused - not that easily achieved.
Perfect album. Not too much to say, everything was perfect.
Ovo je bilo mega mega hvaljeno kad je izašlo ali meni nikad posebno leglo
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”
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
Alright indie/ alternative rock. Biggest take away was hearing original song I knew was samples elsewhere but never looked into before (so nothing stood out significantly)
Okay
Understand why people would enjoy this but was just very unmemorable. 2.5/5
This started really well, very maccabees-esque but seemed to tail off. Potential to score higher or lower on a relisten tbh
There's something weird here.
6. Nothing stuck with me. Even then I've no complaints throughout my listen.
Took me a while to get into but I wouldn't turn it off if i heard it on the radio
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?
Nicht mein Fall.
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 🤌 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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
The judge isnt out yet for me, need more listens to give it a fair judgement, its a nice chilly album.
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.
Oh to be a bearded guy in 2008 working at a nonprofit safe from the economic recession being sensative at the lolapalooza
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.
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
Meh This was so boring. Nice enough songs but an album worth was too much. Recognised 2 songs but probably wouldn't listen again 3 ⭐️
I've heard of Grizzly Bear but have never listened to them. Not sure what I was expecting. Mostly inoffensive background music with some bursts of energy. Liked the vocals. Favorites: Two Weeks, Fine For Now Would I listen to it again: No
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 :)
Strong start with Southern Point, Two Weeks, and All We Ask. But drops off in the middle for me. While You Wait for the Others is a highlight.
Heard “two weeks” a million times, so it was cool to hear the rest of the album. Not bad!
A few tunes on here were good (Two Weeks, Southern Point), but the rest was sort of meh. Not offensive, but not really memorable either. 3/5
its not horrible but it is pretty boring to me and feel like it wont age any better in any possible way. I understand if you maybe like it, but for me thats really not an album i will revisit any given time.
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.
This definitely turned into background music while listening to it. I can't see myself actively choosing to listen to this one again.
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
I liked some songs a lot, but overall didn't love this one as a whole album. Standout Track: - Two Weeks
First? 2,5/5 Again? 1,5/5
Oh god, why do they keep going on... This album sucks
This was my genre back in the day and I remember this album well. It was so hyped from everyone but honestly, I think outside of the 1-2 punch opener of Southern Point and Two Weeks, the album is just boring. There a few other songs that aren't too bad ("All We Ask", "About Face" and "Cheerleader") but over all, Vecatimest is such a chore to get through.
Piffle
Only Two Weeks really stood out.
honestly they kind of remind me of Fleet Foxes except even more boring and background music-oriented. "Two Weeks" is nice and I'll probably add it to my playlist, but that's really the only song on the album that stuck out to me. The rest is 2010s indie elevator music
So boring and ot something I'd consider influential... doesn't feel like it belongs on this list
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
Gewoon heel saai, compenseren voor de 5 van net
• Revisar más albumes de la banda. Entretenido de escuchar Buena instrumental 10/10
Great songs and captivating arrangements. Unique sound that defies categorization. Plenty of drama and emotion within the music. Definitely can get lost in the complexity of the music which did push me away in the first couple of listens and it does bog down under it's own weight of complex rhythms and unusual chord changes in the middle. Perhaps a littl too long for its own good. But if you wade through the denseness of the arrangements I think you'll find worthwhile songs and music within. If you're a fan of Rufus Wainwright I think you'll like this record. 3.5 stars
Not for me, I was aware of a couple of the songs which I quite liked. I’m normally a fan of folky/acoustic style but this was little too alternative
Pretty good all things considered. A little rough around the edges for my taste but not bad. 3/5
It was fine, but there are many like it The one famous track was nice
This is lame as fuck. Like a super shitty Fleet Foxes or Boy & Bear. That weird indie folk movement that was huge in the 00's. I'm having a hard time keeping focus on it. I just don't give a fuck about this super white granola hipster shit. This album was awful. Favourite songs: While You Wait for the Others, Two Weeks Least favourite songs: Dory.... And most of the rest of this try-hard piece of shit record 1/5
I did not get into this one at all
Boring
I tried to like this album years ago but I don't. I think its the dude's voice
Pretty cool
2- uniquely boring. Way too long
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
What is it with all the trash im getting at the moment!??
Feels like arcade fire on an off day
A few songs very good, the rest below average for me.
The darlings of SiriusXMU. Never listened to a full album from them and I didn't hate it. Mellow and jangly at the same time. Some nice atmosphere if you're into some semi-psyche indie. I thought it was good enough -- but not what I'd schedule my listening around. Unexpected bangers: Dory, About Face, Fine for Now
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.
Pretty cozy acoustic music.
I’m still listening to it and I already forgot what the first half sounded like. Boring forgettable
I liked the parts that sounded like CSNY and the Beach Boys. The rest just sounded like any other mid 2000s band with an animal in the name (Band of Horses, Trampled by Turtles, etc). 3/5
In the late 2000s, I remember this was one of those albums that people use to name-check to seem ✨in the know✨, with an undertone of hipster elitism that was so chic for the era. I was very much not a fan of this style of Pitchfork-promoted indie rock, so I basically avoided Veckatimest, even though I inevitably heard “Two Weeks” in my friends’ cars and at college house parties between 2009 and 2013. But about 5 years after Veckatimest came out, I noticed that it stopped being name-checked by the hipsters I knew. Sure, the hipster was going the way of the Dodo– although it didn’t truly die until maybe 2016; and the hipsters I knew had evolved into Tumblrinas anyway– but good albums stick around after the trend is over. It’s not like we forgot about Arcade Fire, or Imogen Heap, or Animal Collective. I think Animal Collective are a good point of comparison here. See, Veckatimest is fine. It’s spacey neo-psych rock for socially awkward liberal arts kids to put on at the dive bar or a dorm room between the hours of 5:30pm - 8:30pm, after class but before the actual party, and/or while they smoke a joint. It’s middlebrow art rock with just enough substance to unpack both as music and as a contemporary cultural artifact, but never so outrageously complex that it kills the mood. It’s pre-pregame music. It’s what you listen to when your brain is transitioning between study hour and rolling on molly. Grizzly Bear are talented, but talented like a bunch of Berkeley kids who know just a smidge too much about musical theory to ever really loosen up and sound, well, natural and approachable. There are certainly standouts, or at least interesting additions, even beyond “Two Weeks.” My personal shoutouts go to “Cheerleader” and “I Live With You,” which do feel like they have more depth than the rest of the cuts on here. But when it’s just stoned-out drags (literal and figurative), it’s ephemeral background music posing as deep and meaningful. And that’s the thing. In the 2000s, we already had a ton of middlebrow neo-psych rock made by bands of Berkeley kids, and all of it was better than what Grizzly Bear had to offer. I personally did not enjoy any of it, but I can hit pause on being a hater to recognize that Animal Collective were leagues above Grizzly Bear, both in terms of raw talent and in terms of important output. Grizzly Bear were a dime a dozen for their era; it just didn’t feel that way because by the time Veckatimest came out, this style of music was all but kaput. Veckatimest is kinda the beginning of the end, and it goes out on a whimper, even for a style and subgenre than could barely muster a moan from its flower crumb-covered couch. In 2009, this was the flavor du jour. I know it felt valuable at the time, but it quickly became clear that this was a cloud of smoke filling the room. And now I feel justified that I hated this style so much, even at the time. Thankfully, nothing has changed.
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
barely tolerable
Perfectly adequately background music
I feel like some parts of this could grow on me if I gave it another chance, but as it stands, I found it pretty meh.
So very bad.
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.
Packt mich nicht!
This is pretty interesting. I can't say I loved it, but it was really good.
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.
Indiezinho legal! Gostei
Empezó bien pero me cansó muy rápido. De esos discos con canciones que se sienten eternas y repetitivas, que a la mitad de cada una no sabe uno de donde van a salir los 4 minutos restantes, y cuando uno los escucha, se da cuenta de que la canción tenía que haber terminado hace mucho. No fui fan.
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!
It’s so . . . average. Ugh. Minus 1 star for wasting my time.
Chilled ok
I like this record, not perfect but solid throughout
A pleasant enough album but doesn't do it for me. There is no coherence or direction, sounds like they add things they've just thought of. None of the songs hits home particularly and I can't say I am a fan of the singer. Overall it comes over as a trifle pretentious.
It was ok
This is the type of thing I could throw on as background music while I was doing something else. It was different and I kind of enjoyed it and get the feeling that this might grow on me a bit if I were to listen to it more.
Enjoyed this, probably gonna look into them a little more.
Doesn't do anything wrong, but does it do anything right?
Overall: 5/10 Not bad, but not great. This is music you put on to clean up after you've hosted a party. I feel like so many indie bands sounded just like this at the time and I blame Arcade Fire (who I actually really like). Fav Song: Two Weeks Least Fav Song: Dory
скучная хипстер-какашка
Middle of the road album for me. Grizzly Bear can captures moods and feelings perfectly in certain songs, but it's also easy for me to get tired of their melancholic and cluttered style
I've literally never heard the name Grizzly Bear but obviously I've seen a movie in the last decade and change so I recognized Two Weeks. Otherwise, I'm into it. really transported me back to that time and reminds me of some other stuff around then. no strong feelings either way on this one
It was fine. Neat hearing "Two Weeks," which I totally forgot about and never actually knew who the artist was.
I haven't listened to Grizzly Bear since the mid 2000s and they are pretty good band. I loved the song "While you Wait for the Others" and of course their hit is a good tune. Sometimes it dips into this land of improv jazz, discordant chords that I think ends up sounding all the same. A fine album to have on while reading a book or having dinner.
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
There are moments of real genius, 1st half is pretty strong. But I kept thinking just how much better this album would be if it were like 15-20 minutes shorter. The length and lack of anything matching some of the stuff of the first half started wearing on me
Jutro zapomnę, że ten album istnieje. Słuchałem go dwa razy, nie pamiętam nic. Leciał w tle. Nie irytował mnie, ale też nic nie zwróciło mojej uwagi (poza "Two Weeks", bo zaskoczył mnie fakt, że chyba znałem to wcześniej). Słabe 3.
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.
Pleasant surprise, wasn't aware of this album full of good indie ditties.
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
Southern Point 3.3 Two Weeks 3.8 All We Ask 3.4 Fine for Now 3.6 Cheerleader 3.4 Dory 3.1 Ready, Able 3 About Face 3.2 Hold Still 3 While You Wait for the Others 3.3 I Live with You 3.5 Foreground 3 Score: 3.3
3-4
I get a lot of Crosby, Stills and Nash off this album. The opening track, Southern Point is really good. Overall, it's a good album, but I highly doubt it's one everyone needs to hear before they die. 2/5
We love indie
I can't understand how something this unbelievably dull made it into this book.
Recognized Two Weeks from alt radio, which was slightly enjoyable. But just didn’t vibe with the rest of this album. Kept thinking that is what indie/hipster girl music. Got through it but wouldn’t listen to this again.
Fairly decent, nothing really memorable though.
This depressed me a bit. I wanted to like the mashup of genres but it took me days to get through.
Nothing too notable after the first few songs.
I love this album. At times it gets a bit too hipster but I don't mind. It's a great mellow listen.
It's like every other band from the 2010's. They were all, "look ma, I can harmonize and use technology as instruments!" In the end, it all becomes one-note and very forgettable. Every track is the same, no highs or lows or memorable moments to speak of.
Noperz
Anspruchsvoll arrangierte und komponierte Musik von Grizzly Bear mit harmonischen Gesangseinlagen Like The Beach Boys.
Amazing production, infinitely interesting songs, lights out performances.
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.
Thinking that I hadn’t heard of this band I was surprised that I knew and liked the song Two Weeks. It turned out that was the only stand-out song on an album of mediocre songs that went on way too long
Not offencive, not inspiring, not there
OK if somewhat forgettable I'm not sure why I'd listen to this when Arcade Fire do this sort.of thing better?
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.
Just another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex I'd never heard of the band before. Pleasantly surprised by it, quite enjoyed it (in a hipster kind of way). I think it would have had more impact with a shorter runtime, (30 mins-ish).
Cooooooool!
This started promising but it turned out to become a bit boring. One song is famous because it has been used in an advertisement (at least in germany).
Veckatimest () is the third studio album by Grizzly Bear, originally released in 2009. Someone fetch me a slouchy beanie, black-rimmed glasses, overalls, and a scarf stat! Man, this record just oozes that early-2010s hipster vibe. Handlebar mustaches and Edison bulbs everywhere... It's not bad though! Reminds me a lot of Fleet Foxes although less reliant on vocal harmonies. These dudes seem to let their musical chops speak for themselves. The songwriting is a bit weak at times but not too bad for hipster stuff. Not super melodramatic/cringe or anything. I got this album generated on a cold fall day in November so it kinda fits the vibes right now.
This sounded ok but I deducted a point because this just seemed to be 'about nothing'. I kept waiting for the climax that never came. I think Zeppelin's Rain Song nailed this kind of music decades ago except WITH a climax and a point.
I have to compare them to Fleet Foxes, the band I've recently discovered on this list. They both go in similar direction, but Fleet Foxes aren't afraid of going more folk-ish. Which is an advantage in my eyes, and in my ears. Nonetheless, good album. 3.5/5.
Mwah, very unbalanced album: 4 great songs (two weeks, cheerleader, foreground, and perhaps, while you wait etc) and the rest is mostly unlistenable. my vote in 2009: 4 stars my vote in 2024: 3 stars
I found this quite hard to get into, and even got me quite irritated on the first listen. Only the long outro of Ready Able worked for me; otherwise I found this album a load of pretentious hipster drivel.
Beautiful songs and harmonies, fantastic closer.
Just a bit...dull? Inoffensive, but unexciting. Not really sure what warrants it on this list, maybe it grows on you. 2.5*
2,5
Don't know what this is, like if they made smooth rock even more boring
Oof I hated that. Expectations might’ve been too high going in. Two Weeks is obviously a smash hit and still sounds amazing. The rest of it just made me wanna tear my hair out. The songs don’t go anywhere. It doesn’t build in a satisfying way like LCD soundsystem. The way they kick the songs into overdrive sounds like they just strum the guitars slightly louder. This would be a good litmus test type album to see if I have similar music taste as someone. Rating: 2.4
Fav: Ready, Able Least Fav: Cheerleader Very frustrating mix of incredible songs and boring songs, should’ve cut it down a little
Well I'm not sure whether it deserved a spot on this list but I'm glad it has one. There's a lot of harsh criticism in these reviews calling it too hipstery. Which... OK yeah, I get it. It has a bit of an Animal Collective vibe (which is not an insult). But it's more accessible and has some really stunning arrangements. The choral elements add to the general atmosphere of the album, which feels equally grounded and experimental. My only complaint is that it could be a bit shorter, or it needs more hits on the level of 'Two Weeks'. But the second half of the album really picks up and keeps it interesting. Whether it's very significant or not, I still like it.
Really nice album -had previously only heard two weeks but liked the vibe, especially the last song. A nice winter album.
I liked it
I am familiar with the song Two Weeks, but I did not know the band or the name of the song. This album is Indie Indie, which is pretty unexpected, tbh. Most of the albums I've listened to (260-ish of them) have all been fairly large, in name, sales, reputation, or critical reception. I really like Indie music, and this is a cream of the crop Indie album. I know not everyone is going to particularly enjoy it, but I really do. Favorite Song(s): Two Weeks, About Face, Foreground
Lots of slow whiny mumbling here. It's not that bad but it gets old-really fast.
The natural progression of mid 2000s indie pop, and probably its terminal point. Layered instrumentation, experimentation with The Sound, and lots of ideas jammed into each song. Too bad it just made me think of other albums I could be listening to. Nice as music for a quirky indie flick, but I don't know when in my life I would want to listen to this.
Did not enjoy
It's a pleasant indie rock album with nice singing and chill songs, but the songwriting isn't that very exciting. It's one of those albums that I can't remember any songs from it after I've finished listening to it.
I know I listened to this yesterday morning, but I don't remember any of the songs today. Chill, coffee-shop music, not particularly memorable.
I like a few tracks, Two Weeks is great.. The rest of the album is really nothing special or unique. The 2000's were loaded with this stuff.
2 Weeks is a good tune. Cheerleader is another that caught my ear. Otherwise a bit dull and ordinary.
Sounds like something I would have listened to in 2009. A good mellow listen.
I enjoy this album. I got it from a VMP record club a while back. Some of the harmonies remind me of Ben Folds a little bit, I don't know why. It's pretty standard 2000s era indie stuff and nothing super special, but I still like it and will listen to it again.
Two great songs but as a whole album I find this so boring. Unfortunate. Extra star for two weeks though.
надо ещё послушать. так и не поняла откуда я знаю two weeks (возможно отовсюду), а в целом очень разнообразный альбом
I had heard the song two weeks come up on my spotify many times, so I had spme expectations for the album. I am blown away by how much im enjoying it. The songs are varied an emotional- sometimes it feels like an electronic group, sometimes a true rock band, sometimes a choir- there are a lot of tone ahofts to a pleasant effect. I really enjoy their use of voc harmonies as well. Overall- a very good album. Im surprised I hadent heard any other singles from it besides Two Weeks. Enjoyed it- will definitely listen again
For ages I thought this was somehow related to Animal Collective (probably got Grizzly Bear confused with Panda Bear) and only found out they were a completely separate band a couple of years ago Anyway, this is a really nice and dreamy indie record, with fantastic production throughout. The opening two songs are fantastic, especially the mega Two Weeks, and while the rest of the album is still a nice listen it really doesn’t reach those heights again and just kind of floats by
Kind of a quiet in the forest type album, not sure why it’s on here but better than another Kings of Leon.
Interesting album. It's a sort of avant-garde rock project, a bit ambient (I feel like a snob just describing this thing). But just listen to "Two Weeks" and that will heal that feeling. I've never really dived into Grizzly Bear but they're pretty solid based on this one. Favorite tracks: Two Weeks, Cheerleader, Foreground. Album art: Multicolor art wall installation thing going on. I do like it, though I don't have any clue how the title should be pronounced. 3/5
Good
Somewhere between “Matt and Kim” and “The Arctic Monkeys”, but ultimately I didn’t find a lot to come back for, besides that one mega-famous track.
I'm going to be honest I love Two Weeks but the rest of this album kind of pissed me off. I couldn't even get through it, several skips.
Oh get lost. 0 stars. Not only not a must hear, it’s mediocrity is such that I’m a worse person for listening to it. Predictably unpredictable. Cliches. Cliches so cliched that other cliches roll their eyes. Music so dull you could play it in lifts without having to rearrange it. Music so dull you could use it in your end of life procedure. I wish they would take this list seriously. Seriously, Get lost.
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.
Pitchfork fucking _loved_ Veckatimest when it came out: "Veckatimest ain't perfect; lord knows it tries. More than most any album in recent memory not named Chinese Democracy (please keep reading), it is compositionally and sonically airtight, every moment sounding tweaked, labored over. Perfection-- and the pursuit thereof-- has its price, and in less able hands (with all love to Axl), this obsessive attention to craft and execution could lead to something dull. What's perhaps the most remarkable thing about the truly remarkable Veckatimest, however, is how very exciting much of it is; no small feat for a painstaking chamber-pop record that never once veers above the middle tempo." Well, I disagree. This is not exciting. It _is_ a dull and over-worked album that was released in a slow year for exciting new music, was over-praised at the time, and is now (rightly) mostly forgotten. No surprise that this has been expunged from the most recent editions of 1001 Albums.
I thought this pretty dull, not something I'd listen to in the future. Teddy Bear more than Grizzly Bear.
They played their "hit" as track two and then kept going! It feels like going to a concert because someone you know had an extra ticket after someone else cancelled. At the encore you're like, "sure, but I could leave now and be home in time to still watch like one episode of Better Call Saul or something before I go to bed."
Totally forgot about Two Weeks. Rest of the album seemed disjointed and sleepy. I’ll try again.
Not my fav album but some cool chill tracks on there.
Nothing really groundbreaking but it was a decent enough listen. 3/5
Fun and listenable maybe a bit forgettable
Good shit this
not bad for a trippy, sigh of rock.
I love Two Weeks, but the rest of the album doesn’t hold up.
I liked this.
Nothingness.
Ok
Recognised a few tunes on here. Will give this another listen next time I need some low key indie sounds.
i will write my review in the form of a haiku: a terrible name annoying and boring. sucks! i do not like them
I love Two Weeks and While We Wait For The Others but the rest is pretty darn boring. Goes for every song they did besides those two.
They ripped off Still DRE and no one talks about it. If I had a time machine I would go back and stop Grizzly Bear from forming, because had they not released this album, humanity may have been spared from the onslaught of, "Stomp, clap, HEY" bands that followed. I threw up in my mouth just writing that. No stars.
Aquí está "Two weeks" una de mis canciones favoritas y más escuchadas. Luego ni este disco ni otros suyos han llegado tan alto en mis preferencias. He añadido "Cheerleader", pero en general el disco me aburre. Le daré 3 estrellas y listo.
I was working a job in san francisco in 2010 and one of the people I was working with was listening to this album. I must have heard it like 30 times over that week, which would have made me intensely dislike most albums/people normally. Thing is, I didnt get tired of it or dislike it then, and in fact I find that I still like it now. 4/5
Mid
This was almost the first I couldn't finish, how bloody bland. At points it felt like people plinking random strings on a guitar and hoping, like jazz but worse. Just plain boring. Nothing going on at all.
Started off like a modern beach boys but just got weird and boring at the end
That was the best album named after a small island off the coast of Massachusetts I've ever heard.
Couldn't make it through the whole album.
"Two Weeks" is an indie pop classic from this era, but my knowledge of Grizzly Bear pretty much ends there. Everything else sounds very artsy and chamber pop-y. Never has the label "chamber pop" sounded more accurate, as the cacophony of instruments I heard in the last 50 min quite literally sounded like they were playing from within an echo chamber. Interesting sounds for sure, that also feel like they linger on a bit long. I still like this era of 2000's/2010's indie pop, though, and you can argue that a ton of creativity resulted from it. (Note: I definitely recognize "Fine For Now" after listening, as I recall Logic sampling that track)
Pretty good
One of the definitive examples of the late indie-boom art-school rock of late 00s, that's kind of an escape from the city to get wierd and record in a cabin aesthetic, turning towards rustic acoustic instrumentation, experimental composition beyond the rock song confines, warbly operatic but hushed vocals, and oriented towards texture and atmosphere more than melody and rhythm. I get why people burned out and got bored of guitar-driven indie rock and garage revival stuff, but this stuff always seemed way too ascetic and inward looking to me, and just doesn't hold my interest at all despite being nice to listen to, interesting at a surface level, and acheiving some engaging sounds in parts. Favorites: All We Ask, Two Weeks
This is sad boy music. I recognized the song Two Weeks and after listening to the album, I know why that's the only song I know from this album. Generally forgettable and tried to do too much. There is worse stuff out there and it wasn't bad as much as mediocre at best.
Quite jazzy, reminded me of Badly Drawn Boy. Will add to 'listen again'lits as felt qite busy in there.
That one song was ok
A previously unknown band for me. I quite enjoyed it and will listen to it again in the future.
How does Tim Walz say it? Oh yeah, "Weird"
An epic album with some absolute bangers eg. Two weeks and While you wait for the others. I just didn’t connect with it. Maybe on another day in another mood I’ll feel different.
This album serves loosely as an opus for the period of indie music that existed roughly between the mid-2000s and the early 2010s, compiling all that was learnt by the band after emerging near the start of this timeframe. Elements of psychedelia are inspired by their earlier efforts (eg. Department of Eagles’ In Ear Park), seen evidently on twinkly, layered tracks such as Fine For Now and I Live With You. Alongside this relatively unique psychedelic element, there exists the reliable indie sound linked with the era, heard on one of the most renowned and recognisable indie songs of all time, Two Weeks. Although perhaps excessive, with forgettable ‘filler’ in-between the really great tracks here, Veckatimest is undoubtedly an indie titan, and for that it deserves its merits.
It took me a minute but I ended up enjoying it.3
Another puzzling selection in the post-05 crop
Not for me, couldn't connect.
Interesting; but easily forgettable. I try to let go and get sucked into the trance that the tracks promise. But the annoying vocals, bouncing through a series of unconnected melodic fragments, push me into an almost constant desire to listen to something else.
Very good
Sort of, alright I guess. Wishy-washy, but relatively listenable. Nothing to write home about.
A bit too hipster for my taste, sorry dudes. 3.3 stars
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
So much to love on this album by Grizzly Bear. It reminds me so much of college years.
Melancholy in an album. And I love me some good melancholy.
Some interesting parts to this, but unfortunately those sections are mostly drowned out by the stereotypical hipster indie sections.
#328. This gets lost amongst all the other generic hipster folk on this list. 2/5: minus one star for that atrocious album title. Do better. Song added to playlist: Two Weeks I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Some of it is really good, some of it is too arty. Favorite song: Fine for now
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.
Reminds me of the fleet foxes. Ingredients are all there, but somehow the beats aren't hit. It's kinda catchy, cool instrumentation, real lyrics etc, but even after a double listen I couldn't make it work for me. Tried to write the review a week after and couldn't remember, listened again and nothing stuck.
Two Weeks While You Wait for the Others
Sad Shins meets Beach Boys. Not in a great way...
This is really lovely music, but the first time I heard one of these songs was on Youtube and someone posted a major spoiler in the comments of a series I hadn't finished watching. Fuck that person and anyone who posts spoilers in random places. Still really lovely music on this album.
Had an oh it’s that song moment which was cool. Rest of it was fine, boring at times.
I didn't really have expectations but this exceeded them.
6/10 - I really liked two weeks but other than that it was quite strange. A lot of it near the second half sounded just like noise.
It was quite enjoyable, kinda bizarre and had some very different songs but I liked most of them 8/10
This was really all over the place. Some good, some boring. I still don’t know if I like it or not
Makes Radiohead seem absolutely exuberant by comparison. 1 sedative outta fi....
78% Fav: Two Weeks, Ready Able Least: Hold Still Must-Hear? Nah
70
Struggling to think of anything positive to put here.
BORINGGGGGGG
I actually love two weeks but I’ve tried to love this full album many times since a lot of my friends with similar music taste love it and it just doesn’t fully capture me. That being said it’s probably slightly better than average. 3.5 Fun fact: my college roommate was ed droste’s cousin
fantastically creepy
So so low energy. I’ll give them two stars because at times I could hear that they were trying to do something interesting musically. But seriously, wake tf up before your next recording session.
Grizzly Bear have never been one of my favorite big Indie acts of the 2000's. That being said, this is without a doubt their best album, even if it is not very memorable outside of its big hit "Two Weeks". Key tracks: Two Weeks
Very good Very consistent
This should have been in my wheel house when it was released. But, even then I thought it was boring. Two weeks saves it from one star.
Didn’t sound great, maybe needs speakers
Dull and lifeless
I wanted to like this album, but I did not enjoy some of the rather dissonant and chaotic, and the rest were just ok. 5/10
This was pushing a 2 but I really like two weeks so that alone saved the album
Look, I gave this thing the best shot I could, but... I'unno. I just really didn't care for it. Like, the first three tracks were fine, I guess. But after that, it was just a whole lotta indie rock nothing to my ears. Nothing I could really grasp onto. Sorry.
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.
I’m at a 3.5 that I’m rounding down to a 3. There’s not any bad tracks here, but there’s a number of tracks that just aren’t very captivating to me, and those tracks just drag the album down from the incredibly hot start it had. I was really into the first 4 tracks, but starting from Track 5, I think the album just gets a little too broad from a lyrical standpoint and for some reason, it just nagged at me the entire time. When the lyrics got too broad, the songs felt like they had less substance and less structure, and while that’s probably better for some people, it just doesn’t work as well for me. When the album does strike on tracks that have a structure and a substance during those final 8 tracks, I think it clicks really well, but it only does it a handful of times. There’s fantastic instrumentation throughout this album, but it just feels like too many of the songs on here are full of missed opportunity for my musical tastes – I want to dig deeper into these slice-of-life monotonous moments that are usually captured pretty well, but the scope of so many tracks being so broad just sort of left me underwhelmed. Once again, though, there’s not a bad track, and I don’t think this is a bad album. It’s just not fully my thing, but I can see how it could be someone else’s. It’s probably a 4 or maybe even a 5 for someone else, but for me, I’m just kinda stuck on a 3.
A perfect album from cover to cover. I actually found this album years ago in the 1001 Albums book
Well that was a waste of time.
There's maybe a couple of songs here I would listen to again - but I would most definitely do it to impress my more hipstery friends. For the most part this album is an aimles walk
I think this album had a wonderfully unique sound. I am not typically interested in music that is based on vocal layers but I do like thier compositions.
Rating: 2/10 A complete dud of an album, not a single song was enjoyable. Some instrumental ideas were decent, but this is an album that is way too long and boring.
"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.
This music can be beautiful and haunting, but so depressing. I really like it.
There are some great songs on this. When it gets going it really hits (While You Wait for the Others might be my fave). It's consistently pleasant to listen to. It does feel a bit sleepy too often, though. A good, not truly great, album.
Too boring to hold my interest but annoying enough to still notice it playing. Par for the course for most indie rock for me.
Ah, I don't know - do I have to? Okay. There are a lot of really likeable ingredients and potential flavours in here but it's... overcooked. Maybe prog-folk-rock just doesn't need to be thing. One of the albums where I feel like there's something in there I should love but it's buried in self-indulgent baroque nonsense that irritates me.
A bit too Bowie-esque for me. Can stand David Bowie’s music, below average
it was alright. I was kinda bored
very 2009