Album Review : Bear In Heaven

Bear In Heaven's 2009 album Beast Rest Forth Mouth was so good that I ended up including it in my albums of the year for 2010; a record that melded pop, electro, prog and art-rock together so brilliantly and seamlessly it seemed like a defining statement never to be topped. But the band has persevered, and this time I'm keeping up with what's going down by reviewing new album I Love You, It's Cool for The Line of Best Fit.

Not quite scaling the heights of the last record, it's still a great listen; a layered and textured piece that bears repeated listens and a little bit of patience. You can read a bit more, plus watch a mockumentary put together by the band, at this link right here.

Album Review : AU

I've reviewed a few The Line of Best Fit recommended records in the past year or so, but very few would have a first track that's as explosive, euphoric and downright brilliant as the first track on AU's new album Both Lights.

Starring the elemental saxophone work of Colin Stetson, 'Epic' sets the tone for a wild ride across psych/folk/punk/metal/choral music in the space of the album's 11 tracks. I've always liked AU since I heard their Verbs record, but nothing prepared me for near-perfect construction of this album. It really is quite something.

You can read more by making the jump here, and I'd thoroughly encourage you to do just that.