Grizzly Bear / Shields: B-Sides

One of the first points to make is that Grizzly Bear B-sides are better than many bands’ A quality material. While the system of releasing a follow up version of every album a year later, as a bridge between their albums which appear every three years, is flawed, it does give a strong indication of the band’s strengths and weaknesses. The release of a B-sides album halfway through a career or at the end of a career seems like a more fitting structure for such tracks, but Grizzly Bear clearly feels differently. The tracks not included on their albums are astonishing too, some of them are inexplicably left from the selection for a final album, and it makes for a high standard for a B-sides set, but it’s an odd thing to contemplate. The albums are not commercial, though the band’s unique and technically incredible brand of alternative guitar pop leans towards some kind of compromise between the artistic integrity of the band and an open mind regarding record sales that can keep the band afloat.

Put simply, this is one of THE bands of the generation. They need no tricks, no leaning towards commercial gain, for they have the almost unprecedented ability to create music that is spellbinding and classic sounding. Yes, Daniel Rossen’s almost classical music gift for song writing and his mind create music so technically complex that it may lose people on its way, but like the best composers, it is hard not to see how well his mind works in creating layers of heavenly music that are hard to follow, and not to follow. Somehow, the other songwriter and singer in the band, for the writing and singing duties are shared between the two, and all four members do backing vocals and harmonising, Ed Droste, has an equally unique but special talent to write songs. His are easier melodies to follow, they are more commercial and they are often sublime, but as a pair they shape relentlessly beautiful guitar music. Some of it is symphonic, some of it is Beatles-esque, and some of it is simply challenging, appealing, confusing. The band is one of the few who can really take away the breath of a music fan. All four members are magnificent musicians and construct together the type of standard of music that is made by very few working bands today.

This collection is odd, as one might expect. There are 5 original and unheard tracks and 3 remixes of tracks from ‘Shields.’ While the remixes definitely offer another side of the band and what it likes, it is the five tracks before those remixes that get us interested. 3 of them are pure class, causing despair at why they weren’t included on ‘Shields’ as they would have made better replacements perhaps for one or two tracks on there, but nevertheless we are grateful to hear them now, the other two are great songs too, just not quite as stunning. Worthwhile, absolutely, it just begs you to question if they didn’t hold back some songs how good could their albums really be.