I am a devoted Grizzly Bear fan and believe that their two previous releases ‘ Veckatimest‘ and ‘Yellow House‘ are two of the most amazing indie folk albums ever made. It would be hard to deny that ‘Shields‘ follows in their footstep.
Daniel Rossen and Ed Droste still deliver those amazingly charming vocals, and the band still produces a sound that majestically blends folk, psychedelic rock and pop together. ‘Shields‘ is rawer, more aggressive and definitely louder than their earlier material but still succeeds in keeping that very specific finesse and intimacy that defines them so well. I particularly enjoy how the album perfectly starts with the disjointed rhythm and messy chords of “Sleeping Ute“, giving us a good taste of what this album will be about.
Following a three-year hiatus the band have introduced new elements to their equation. Even though it possibly lacks a classic track in the vain of “Two Weeks“, “Knife” or “On a Neck, On a Spit“, ‘Shields‘ still sounds undeniably like Grizzly Bear. – Olivia
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