Brooklyn indie band Grizzly Bear released their landmark album “Yellow House” over a year ago, and now, with their new extended play, “Friend,” the band spreads their psychedelic folk gospel even further.
The EP opens with a new track, “Alligator (Choir Version),” a haunting, psychedelic ““ like nearly everything on the album ““ song that utilizes a slow-tempoed unidentifiable drone-y instrument before kicking in with what sounds like a recorder, various percussion, and hushed harmonizing vocals. About two minutes into the song, we get into something more structured, with a beautiful, strong guitar melody and crashing cymbals. It almost sounds like a noisy, more experimental version of group sing-a-long folk bands of the 1970s, like Fleetwood Mac with wilder instruments.
“He Hit Me,” a cover of an old R&B song, starts off starkly and simply, with the clear yet ghostly vocals, mellow percussion and a simple few guitar chords. But once again, the soft simplicity is cranked up and torn apart into a beautiful mess of loud guitar, erratic crashes, and spooky echoes. There is a lot to listen for, but each listen results in picking up a new aspect of the distinct Grizzly Bear sound.
There are some “remixes” of songs from Yellow House, like an electric version of “Little Brother,” which, ironically, is starker than its original acoustic version ““ at first. But then, clocking in at six-and-a-half minutes, there is ample time for some psychedelic rock-age.
However, “Plans (Terrible vs. Nonhorse Sounds Edit)” sounds absolutely nothing like the original ““ it’s just a minute and a half of experimental noisy noise, mixed and swirled together with more of the same.
“Shift (Alternate Version)” is another new track from the band, along the same somber veins as many of their other songs ““ but this time, there is whistling, just eerily cheerful enough to throw the listener off a little bit. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” harmonizes the band, before going into another beautifully harmonizing round of “aah’s.”
Unfortunately, the covers begin after this, disrupting the gorgeous continuity of the rest of the EP. Brazilian indie band CSS performs “Yellow House’s” most accessible song “Knife,” but their cheesy electropop is completely out of place. And while there’s nothing wrong with a little electropop now and then, it’s hard to justify the reworking of a song as beautiful, romantic, and sonically perfect as the original “Knife.”
Band of Horses covers “Plans” with an over-the-top country version, only mildly saved by a banjo/piano/echo interlude toward the end of the song. Atlas Sound (a Deerhunter side project) takes a stab at “Knife” as well, but unlike the CSS version, the band doesn’t even attempt to make it sound like the original version, aside from the lyrics and general following of the melody.
The EP closes with “Deep Blue Sea,” an original simple folk lullaby. After the song ends, there is a minute of silence on the album before a hidden track of instrumental noise plays. The hidden track’s surprising and upbeat, a mixture of Balkan horns and surf rock guitar riffs. While Grizzly Bear might have had a small lapse in judgement with the inclusion of weird covers, “Friend” will leave the listener wanting more, and hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long until we get it.
““ Devon McReynolds