Jordan Lloyd considers Grizzly Bears new release… 
November 2009 will go down in musical history for many reasons; the release of Fall Out Boy’s greatest hits and Justin Bieber’s meteorically cringe-inducing ascent up the Billboard 100 charts, but when casting your mind back nostalgically I implore you to recall Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest, with the fondness usually reserved for family pets and your favourite spot on the sofa.
With this in mind their follow up offering Shields presents a more avant-garde approach to folk pop than its post collegiate predecessor, presenting a vibe that’s more edge of your seat than back of the sofa from start to finish. If this is what you’re looking for then Shields might prove tough armour to crack with tracks like ‘Sleeping Ute’ and ‘Gun Shy’ providing a harder, bolshier edge to previous easy listening fan favourites.
In this way it is easy to see why the album may sharply polarise the band’s fanbase simply because it defies the easy autumnal listening craved during this time of year, as much as an extra hour in bed or a warm woolly jumper. Though that isn’t to say there aren’t some calmer moments to enjoy with the reverberating drums on ‘What’s Wrong’ providing a release from astonishing vocals into the territory that have made the band so chart friendly.
Veckatimest in itself was a raw outburst of crowd pleasing, energetic talent whilst Shields offers a more tentative display of artistic prowess. Indeed throughout each song you get the feeling that the album is one that will grow and mature as you do, growing in polish as you do in appreciation. By creating an album that does this the quality of the band and its collaborators is presented in force, speaking both to the produced record as much as hinting at the excitement of ventures yet to come.
Shields ventures into the experimental and the album offers everything a true fan can profess to want by pushing the boundaries whilst also remaining true to their roots. A success on all counts.