I too am a long time fan. I remember when first listening to Yellow House after Horn of Plenty, discovering that the band had expanded into a quartet.

Needless to say I've been anticipating Veckatimest for a long time now. After their Letterman stint and the "Friend" EP, I got the feeling they were pulling away from their, artistic class, long winded, prettiness, into a more oligarchic, high-indie, lounge sound. I feel this proved to be true. No one can argue that the boys got class.

I say this with a streak of bias. I was raised in the dirty water filled bathtub that was late 90's indie rock. We brushed our teeth with the entirety of the Elephant 6 Collective, Wiped our asses with the garage punk of Detroit, spiked our hair with the gel that was Cal surf punk. Then we went to college...

As indie educated itself, so did the bands. I feel Grizzly Bear is the culmination of this growth. Hell, they've played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. While my love for Grizzly Bear runs deep, parts of my musical center misses the fucked naturalness that haunted us in the 90's. I feel refined and it makes me miss Jeff Mangum.

^ wow that was some excellent imagery my friend

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
On a side note: if you can buy this on vinyl, please do. Two, thick LPs, that come with a booklet of photos of the band and friends on a hill. The artwork is impeccably coordinated and yes, the download is included. They've achieved the full aesthetic wonder and their time, money and effort has paid off. It makes sense why these guys were so upset that it leaked early because Veckatimest is flawless.

Pre-ordered this but still waiting for it to arrive. Consider me envious.

is anybody else really disappointed by this album? Southern point and two weeks are so amazing. the other ten tracks are so snooze inducing I can't even finish the album.

quote:

Originally posted by Dr.Knockers:
is anybody else really disappointed by this album? Southern point and two weeks are so amazing. the other ten tracks are so snooze inducing I can't even finish the album.

I feel the opposite way. I don't think it really gets going until the end. I don't see why everyone thinks "Two Weeks" is such a great track. "While You Wait for the Others" is pretty awesome though.

And I disagree with both of you. I think it's paced pretty darn well. "Southern Point" and "Two Weeks" are a great one-two at the start of the record, but it slows down a bit, hits some peaks with "Fine For Now," "Cheerleader" and "Ready, Able," then kicks up the momentum with "While You Wait for the Others" before closing with two of its prettiest tracks.

Anyway, just my .02

quote:

Originally posted by Dr.Knockers:
is anybody else really disappointed by this album? Southern point and two weeks are so amazing. the other ten tracks are so snooze inducing I can't even finish the album.

Can't say I'm too disappointed by it (didn't have any big expectations) but, like Merriweather Post Pavilion, I just can't see the appeal beyond a couple of really good songs.

I've come around to "Ready, Able." Its biggest problem is that it comes right after "Dory" which I'm still not thrilled by. Following "Ready, Able" is the hushed but very good "About Face." And rounding out this foursome is the awful and even more boring "Hold Still" which I can't understand why they even put on the album. Its only purpose it seems is to ensure the listener is comatose if the previous three songs didn't already do it. Thankfully the guitars of "While You Wait for the Others" nudge you back to life.

"Ready, Able" and "About Face" are both very good songs, but they're slow and since they're bookended and sequenced as they are, this section of tracks 6-9 really hurts the album.

quote:

Originally posted by hophead:
I've come around to "Ready, Able." Its biggest problem is that it comes right after "Dory" which I'm still not thrilled by. Following "Ready, Able" is the hushed but very good "About Face." And rounding out this foursome is the awful and even more boring "Hold Still" which I can't understand why they even put on the album. Its only purpose it seems is to ensure the listener is comatose if the previous three songs didn't already do it. Thankfully the guitars of "While You Wait for the Others" nudge you back to life.

"Ready, Able" and "About Face" are both very good songs, but they're slow and since they're bookended and sequenced as they are, this section of tracks 6-9 really hurts the album.

I actually think those are all great songs, but I still agree with you completely. Too many people are calling this album boring not to concede that it was a bit careless of them to lumped a bunch of sleepy lullabyes in the core of the album.

I sometimes wonder if they shouldn't have just hired Fred on as a second bassist and brought half of the songs from last years Department of Eagles album and worked them into Grizzly Bear songs for this album. I think that is the only way they could have created their goal of hands down album of the decade (second to Ilinoise ). This is of course coming from someone that still thinks In Ear Park is much better than Veckatimest.

quote:

I've come around to "Ready, Able." Its biggest problem is that it comes right after "Dory" which I'm still not thrilled by. Following "Ready, Able" is the hushed but very good "About Face." And rounding out this foursome is the awful and even more boring "Hold Still" which I can't understand why they even put on the album. Its only purpose it seems is to ensure the listener is comatose if the previous three songs didn't already do it. Thankfully the guitars of "While You Wait for the Others" nudge you back to life.

"Ready, Able" and "About Face" are both very good songs, but they're slow and since they're bookended and sequenced as they are, this section of tracks 6-9 really hurts the album.

I think this is a pretty solid analysis of why the mid-section of the album (songs 6-9, as it were) has been complained about by a lot of people.

I agree with hophead, "Ready, Able" is a gorgeous song, and certainly my favorite moment in the middle of the album.

I don't understand "Dory" all that well, and don't see myself "getting it" in the next few listens. "About Face" and "Hold Still" both bore me about equally, but it seems that most people prefer "About Face" and all believe "Hold Still" to be the worst song on the album. Thankfully, these two songs happen to be some of the shortest on the album, so they go by quickly.

Certainly, they provide a perfect state of comatose before the finest track on the album, "While You Wait For The Others," which plays as the first of three incredible tracks to close out the album. If anything, these three tracks are the best finale to an album that I've enjoyed this year.

I know no one has been outright attacking "Dory", and I can accept people not liking it, but personally it was one of the most endearing songs on the album at first listen. "Two Weeks" and "While you Wait for the others" are fun songs. But "Dory" actually takes me somewhere and became personal. Musically, I think it's one of the most beautiful and other worldly songs on the album. However, I also realize it sounds like it could have been a track from In Ear Park, and I know people didn't connect with that album like I did, so it doesn't surprise me that this song is getting a similar reception. I just felt compelled to give a different perspective.

"Dory" is an alright song, I think it gets more interesting once it builds up into the coda. But it's not one of the more accessible tracks.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
I know no one has been outright attacking "Dory", and I can accept people not liking it, but personally it was one of the most endearing songs on the album at first listen. "Two Weeks" and "While you Wait for the others" are fun songs. But "Dory" actually takes me somewhere and became personal. Musically, I think it's one of the most beautiful and other worldly songs on the album. However, I also realize it sounds like it could have been a track from In Ear Park, and I know people didn't connect with that album like I did, so it doesn't surprise me that this song is getting a similar reception. I just felt compelled to give a different perspective.

I agree. I think the Rossen songs on Veckatimest aren't as strong as the top 6 or so songs on In Ear Park which I agree was fantastic. If you cherry-picked the best Rossen songs from both albums and put them with the Droste songs you really would have something special.

I don't know what it is about In Ear Park. I feel that if a handful of those songs had been on Veckatimest, people would be losing their mind over them like they are about "While You Wait for the Others." I guess since they're a side project, people don't bother with it. I agree, it's not strong top to bottom. "Floating on the Lehigh", "Waves of Rye", "Balmy Night" can get a little tedious towards the end, but the 1st half of that album is just as good as any Grizzly Bear material.

"Hold Still" is the only blemish on this album.

I've given this album more run-throughs front to back than any other album this year.

"Ready, Able" is fantastic. I love the "They go we go, I want you to know, what I did I did." part. Really nice electronics/omnichord(?) on that song too.

I think the sequencing is terrific. "Hold Still" may be weak, but it was put in the best spot it could've been.

Seriously considering giving this 5 stars... it's verrrrrrrry close. It's been a couple years now. (Strawberry Jam)

quote:

Originally posted by anbc:
"Hold Still" is the only blemish on this album.

I really think this song is easier to swallow if you take it less as a song, and more as a sort of interlude. They really should have left it untitled or something. It's sortof their transition piece to move into the final three songs.

I agree though. Even seen this way it's the weakest part of the album.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:]
I really think this song is easier to swallow if you take it less as a song, and more as a sort of interlude. They really should have left it untitled or something. It's sortof their transition piece to move into the final three songs.

Yeah, I guess if you look at it like "Hunting Bears" or other short interlude type songs you can make a case for it, and a lot of great albums have them. I just don't think it works the way its sequenced here.

quote:

Originally posted by hophead:

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:]
I really think this song is easier to swallow if you take it less as a song, and more as a sort of interlude. They really should have left it untitled or something. It's sortof their transition piece to move into the final three songs.

I think "Hunting Bears" is a really good case point, since I have never felt like it really fit either. I like the concept of interlude mood pieces to break up and define albums, but they are apparently difficult to pull off.

Yeah, I guess if you look at it like "Hunting Bears" or other short interlude type songs you can make a case for it, and a lot of great albums have them. I just don't think it works the way its sequenced here.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:

quote:

Originally posted by hophead:

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:]
I really think this song is easier to swallow if you take it less as a song, and more as a sort of interlude. They really should have left it untitled or something. It's sortof their transition piece to move into the final three songs.

Yeah, I guess if you look at it like "Hunting Bears" or other short interlude type songs you can make a case for it, and a lot of great albums have them. I just don't think it works the way its sequenced here.

I think "Hunting Bears" is a really good case point, since I have never felt like it really fit either. I like the concept of interlude mood pieces to break up and define albums, but they are apparently difficult to pull off.