Polar Bear - Same as You

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 18 / 4 / 2015

---

The surprise start to the new Polar Bear album comes from Asar Mikael, the owner of Jamaican cultural institution The Light Shop in Tottenham, which is where band leader Sebastian Rochford also comes from. His spoken word wisdom on opening track 'Life Love and Light' paves the way for this exercise in freewheeling jazz funk. Almost straight from the beginning, Polar Bear create an unwitnessed and introverted freeform of tender fragility. Polar Bear are adept at ambitious new folk and avant garde, melting tenderness and grooves with magical ease after years of teasing the ear. Soothingly disturbing and exhilirating in equal measure, they are of similar effect and listening pleasure to me as the Chicago Underground albums which I championed about a decade ago. Jazzy finesses set the tone. Humble breezes and snappy percussion build up this one hour, six track session. Its merit remains deeply soulful thanks to an introverted calm and warmth. The level in experiment never shies off from the gentle steady little pushes and beats heard that can be heard from the onset. Eerie as jazz funk sometimes can be, 'Same As You' has many moments of merry disorientation. Quasi field recordings, slightly tricky electronica and minimalistic keyboard touches are a more than welcome addition. The saxophone though acts as a prime mover. 'Of Hi Lands' marks the finest amongst the many, many highlights. Castanets engaged in a battle with a fiddler produce a rhythm you may not have heard before, in your lifetime. So subtle and ever so gentle, this album is a great adventure.

Track Listing:-

1 Life Love and Light
2 We Feel the Echoes
3 The First Steps
4 Of Hi Lands
5 Dont Let the Feeling Go
6 Unrelenting Unconditional

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/sebastianrochford
http://www.polarbearmusic.com/
https://twitter.com/polarbear_uk
https://soundcloud.com/polar-bear-music
http://polarbearmusic.bandcamp.com/

Label Links:-

http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/index.php
https://www.facebook.com/theleaflabel
https://twitter.com/theleaflabel
https://www.youtube.com/user/theleaflabel
https://plus.google.com/109098497483046618790

Post A Comment

---

Comment

Name

your name

Location

ie London, UK

Submit

Check box to submit

Adam Coxon
Adrian Janes
Adrian P
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Carl Bookstein
Chris O'Toole
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston

Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank

Keith How
Kimberly Bright
L. Paul Mann
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart
Malcolm Carter
Marie Hazelwood
Mark Rowland
Nick Dent-Robinson
Nicky Crewe
Owen Peters
Richard Lewis

Shirley Procter
Spencer Robertshaw
Steve Kinrade
Steve Miles
Tommy Gunnarsson
Zena Grieg